Microsoft Windows 10 1607: Elevation of privilege in NTFS driver
Summary
The Windows NTFS file system driver in Windows 10 Version 1607 and Windows Server 2016 (and other listed Windows versions) contains an untrusted pointer dereference. An attacker with local access and low privileges can elevate privileges to SYSTEM, which gives full control over the affected machine. Exploitation requires a foothold on the machine, for example through a compromised user account or malware; the flaw is not reachable from the internet.
Affected
- Windows 10 Version 1607 (x86 and x64): builds below 10.0.14393.9612
- Windows Server 2016: builds below 10.0.14393.9612
- Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2: builds below 6.2.9200.26434 and 6.3.9600.23470 (per CNA record)
- Other affected versions per Microsoft: Windows 10 1809, 21H2, 22H2; Windows 11 23H2, 24H2, 25H2, 26H1, 26H2
Fixed in
- Windows 10 Version 1607 and Server 2016: build 10.0.14393.9612 or later
- Other versions: see the MSRC page for the fixed builds
- KB number: Unknown. Get it from the Security Updates section of the MSRC page.
Workaround
Unknown. Microsoft names no workaround for this CVE.
Exploitation
- CISA SSVC: Exploitation none, Automatable no, Technical Impact total
- EPSS below 1% (very low)
- No public proof of concept found
- No known exploitation in the wild
Our recommendation
- Inventory all Windows 10 1607 and Server 2016 hosts and compare build numbers with 10.0.14393.9612
- Obtain the matching KB from the MSRC page, test it and install it
- Restrict local logon and interactive access on affected machines and remove unnecessary local accounts
- Plan replacement for systems that cannot be patched or upgraded, since 1607 is end of support for most editions
Information from Microsoft (Patch Tuesday October 2026)
- Severity (Microsoft)
- Important
- Impact
- Elevation of privilege – Windows NTFS
- Status on Patch Tuesday
- Neither exploited nor publicly disclosed
- Exploitability assessment
- Exploitation unlikely
- Product family
- Windows, Windows ESU (Extended Security Updates)
- Updates (KB)
- KB5126835, KB5126836, KB5126868, KB5126651, KB5126657, KB5126655
Public exploits
PoC-in-GitHub, Metasploit and Exploit-DB list nothing for this CVE.
Research sources
- Microsoft Security Update Guide: CVE-2026-96931 msrc.microsoft.com
- OpenCVE: CVE-2026-96931 app.opencve.io
- Vulners: CVE-2026-96931 (CNA record) vulners.com
- VulDB: CVE-2026-96931 vuldb.com
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 2 Nov 2026, 00:37.
Original description (NVD)
Untrusted pointer dereference in Windows NTFS allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
NVD references (1)
Sources
The tracker combines official, freely usable data sources – updated continuously:
- NVD (NIST) – CVEs, rating (CVSS), affected products
- CISA KEV – vulnerabilities confirmed by CISA as actively exploited
- CISA Vulnrichment – CISA assessment (SSVC) in the official CVE record
- FIRST EPSS – probability of exploitation
- Microsoft MSRC – Patch Tuesday: vulnerabilities, severity, updates
- PoC-in-GitHub – public proof-of-concept repositories
- Metasploit (Rapid7) – modules of the Metasploit Framework
- Exploit-DB (OffSec) – archive of public exploits (links only)
- Patch days: official vendor pages (linked per vendor) (Vendor patch days)
This product uses data from the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. EPSS data © FIRST.org.
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