dbcve.org
Windows 10 1607Operating system · Microsoft

CVE-2026-26168

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-04-14
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 10.0.14393.9060 / 10.0.17763.8644 or later.
See remediation →
80/100
Remediation priority · High
Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
Concurrent execution using shared resource with improper synchronization ('race condition') in Windows Ancillary Function Driver for WinSock allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · moderate confidence

This is a race condition vulnerability in the Windows Ancillary Function Driver for WinSock (AFD.sys). The improper synchronization when handling shared resources allows a locally authenticated attacker to escalate privileges by winning the race condition and executing code at elevated permission levels.

MitigationApply the Microsoft security update for CVE-2026-26168 to all affected Windows systems; prioritize servers and workstations with exposed attack surfaces, and implement least-privilege access controls to limit local attack vectors.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Windows 10 1607Operating system
Affected:< 10.0.14393.9060
Windows 10 1809Operating system
Affected:< 10.0.17763.8644
Windows 10 21h2Operating system
Affected:< 10.0.19044.7184
Windows 10 22h2Operating system
Affected:< 10.0.19045.7184
Windows 11 23h2Operating system
Affected:< 10.0.22631.6936
Windows 11 24h2Operating system
Affected:< 10.0.26100.8246
Windows 11 25h2Operating system
Affected:< 10.0.26200.8246
Windows 11 26h1Operating system
Affected:< 10.0.28000.1836

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Local
Complexity
High
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check Windows build version
    Open Command Prompt or PowerShell and run `winver` or `systeminfo | findstr /B /C:"OS Version"` to display the installed Windows build number
    Affected if The displayed build number is lower than any of the following thresholds: 14393.9060 (1607), 17763.8644 (1809), 19044.7184 (21h2), 19045.7184 (22h2), 22631.6936 (23h2), 26100.8246 (24h2), 26200.8246 (25h2), or 28000.1836 (26h1)
  2. Confirm Windows edition and build
    Run `powershell "[System.Environment]::OSVersion.Version"` or `powershell "Get-ComputerInfo | Select-Object WindowsVersion, OsBuildNumber"` to get the exact version and build numbers
    Affected if The version returned is less than the specific threshold build for that Windows release branch
  3. Verify AFD.sys driver version (optional)
    Open an elevated command prompt and run `driverquery /v | findstr AFD` or check the file properties of C:\Windows\System32\drivers\AFD.sys
    Affected if The driver version corresponds to a Windows build that falls below the patched thresholds listed in the affected versions
  4. Confirm local access requirement
    Review system access controls and verify that untrusted local users have limited permissions. The vulnerability requires a locally authenticated attacker to win a race condition.
    Affected if The system allows untrusted local users with standard privileges to run code that could attempt the race condition exploit

A system is affected if it runs any Windows 10 or 11 build that is lower than the specific threshold for its release version, and if local untrusted users have any ability to execute code on the system.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 10.0.14393.9060 / 10.0.17763.8644 / 10.0.19044.7184 or later
Fixed in 10.0.14393.906010.0.17763.864410.0.19044.7184
Interim mitigation

Apply the Microsoft security update for CVE-2026-26168 to all affected Windows systems; prioritize servers and workstations with exposed attack surfaces, and implement least-privilege access controls to limit local attack vectors.

Recommended fix High confidence

Windows 10 1607: 10.0.14393.9060 or later | Windows 10 1809: 10.0.17763.8644 or later | Windows 10 21h2: 10.0.19044.7184 or later | Windows 10 22h2: 10.0.19045.7184 or later | Windows 11 23h2: 10.0.22631.6936 or later | Windows 11 24h2: 10.0.26100.8246 or later | Windows 11 25h2: 10.0.26200.8246 or

  1. Identify your current Windows version by running 'winver' or checking System Information (Win+R, type 'winver')
  2. Determine which Windows release channel you are on (e.g., 1607, 1809, 21h2, 22h2, 23h2, 24h2, 25h2, 26h1)
  3. Open Windows Update by navigating to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update
  4. Check for updates and install all available security updates
  5. If updates are not offered automatically, verify your system is set to receive updates and check for updates repeatedly until the security patch appears
  6. Restart the computer when prompted to complete the installation
  7. Verify the patch was successfully applied by checking Windows Update history or running 'systeminfo' at command prompt
Caveat Standard security patch with no expected breaking changes; as with any system update, ensure critical applications are compatible before deploying broadly

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Windows 10 1607 Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA3.0 h
17.0 hours of engineering $3,020
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Scan for this in your stack

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dbcve dependency scanner

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2026-26168 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data