Windows Connected User Experiences and Telemetry: Local privilege escalation

Summary

A race condition in the Windows Connected User Experiences and Telemetry component allows an authorized local attacker to elevate privileges. The attacker needs an existing low-privileged account on the affected system; the attack complexity is high and no user interaction is required. This is not a remote entry point but a post-compromise escalation risk. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 7.0 (High).

Affected

• Windows 11 version 23H2: 10.0.22631.0 to before 10.0.22631.7711
• Windows 11 version 24H2: 10.0.26100.0 to before 10.0.26100.9974
• Windows 11 version 25H2: 10.0.26200.0 to before 10.0.26200.9974
• Windows 11 version 26H1: 10.0.28000.0 to before 10.0.28000.3501
• Windows 11 version 26H2: 10.0.26300.0 to before 10.0.26300.9974
• Windows Server 2022: 10.0.20348.0 to before 10.0.20348.5870
• Windows Server 2025 (including Server Core): 10.0.26100.0 to before 10.0.26100.33822

Fixed in

• Windows 11 23H2: 10.0.22631.7711 or later
• Windows 11 24H2: 10.0.26100.9974 or later
• Windows 11 25H2: 10.0.26200.9974 or later
• Windows 11 26H1: 10.0.28000.3501 or later
• Windows 11 26H2: 10.0.26300.9974 or later
• Windows Server 2022: 10.0.20348.5870 or later
• Windows Server 2025 (including Server Core): 10.0.26100.33822 or later

Install the November 2026 cumulative update for each branch and verify the build number afterwards. KB numbers: Unknown.

Workaround

Unknown. No Microsoft workaround has been identified; applying the security update is the fix. Disabling the service is not confirmed as a mitigation.

Exploitation

• CISA SSVC: exploitation none, not automatable, technical impact total.
• No reports of active exploitation found.
• No public proof of concept found.
• CVSS temporal score: exploit code maturity Unproven (E:U).

Our recommendation

• Install the November 2026 cumulative update on all affected Windows 11 and Windows Server systems, with priority on servers and shared or multi-user systems.
• Verify the installed build number against the fixed versions.
• Restrict local and terminal logons to required users and remove unneeded local accounts.
• Keep endpoint protection running and monitor for unusual local privilege changes.
• Re-check the MSRC advisory and the CISA KEV catalogue once details are published.

Public exploits iAttack code is publicly available (PoC on GitHub, Metasploit or Exploit-DB).

PoC-in-GitHub, Metasploit and Exploit-DB list nothing for this CVE.

Research sources

• Microsoft Security Update Guide: CVE-2026-96088 msrc.microsoft.com
• CVE Record CVE-2026-96088 (CVE.org) www.cve.org
• Strix AI: CVE-2026-96088 (third-party aggregator) www.strix.ai

Researched and written up in English and German by an AI (Claude by Anthropic) based on NVD, CISA, EPSS and the sources listed. The vendor information is authoritative. Researched on 11 Nov 2026, 07:41.