dbcve.org
Windows 10 1607Operating system · Microsoft

CVE-2026-26169

MEDIUM · 6.1 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 →
63/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
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
Buffer over-read in Windows Kernel Memory allows an authorized attacker to disclose information 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

A buffer over-read vulnerability exists in Windows Kernel Memory that allows a local, authorized attacker to read sensitive information from kernel memory due to improper bounds checking when accessing memory buffers.

MitigationApply Microsoft security updates for this kernel vulnerability once released. Verify affected systems and prioritize patching for workstations and servers running vulnerable Windows versions.

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
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
Low
Availability
None

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

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. Retrieve Windows build version
    Run 'winver' or 'systeminfo | findstr /B /C:"OS Version"' to display the installed Windows version and build number.
    Affected if The displayed build number is lower than any of these thresholds: 14393.9060 (Windows 10 1607), 17763.8644 (Windows 10 1809), 19044.7184 (Windows 10 21h2), 19045.7184 (Windows 10 22h2), 22631.6936 (Windows 11 23h2), 26100.8246 (Windows 11 24h2), 26200.8246 (Windows 11 25h2), or 28000.1836 (Windows 1
  2. Confirm Windows edition
    Run 'systeminfo' or check System Properties to identify whether the system is Windows 10 or Windows 11, and the specific release such as 1607, 1809, 21h2, 22h2, 23h2, 24h2, 25h2, or 26h1.
    Affected if The system runs any of the affected Windows 10 or Windows 11 releases listed in the affected version ranges, and the build number from step 1 is below the corresponding threshold.
  3. Verify kernel memory access context
    This vulnerability is kernel-level and requires local access. Confirm the system is running with standard user or administrator privileges, as the flaw is triggered during kernel memory operations.
    Affected if The system is a vulnerable Windows version (from steps 1-2) and the attacker has local authorized access to execute code on the machine.

A system is affected if it runs any Windows 10 or Windows 11 version with a build number lower than the fixed build for that specific release, and the attacker has local access 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 Microsoft security updates for this kernel vulnerability once released. Verify affected systems and prioritize patching for workstations and servers running vulnerable Windows versions.

Recommended fix High confidence

Install the Microsoft security update that addresses CVE-2026-26169 (contact Microsoft Support or refer to the specific KB article on MSRC for the exact patch KB number for your Windows version)

  1. 1. Verify current Windows version by running 'winver' or 'systeminfo' in Command Prompt
  2. 2. Open Settings > Windows Update (or check for updates via Control Panel)
  3. 3. Click 'Check for updates' and ensure all pending updates are downloaded and installed
  4. 4. If automatic updates are disabled, enable them via Group Policy: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Update > 'Configure Automatic Updates' = Enabled
  5. 5. After updates install, restart the system to apply kernel-level patches
  6. 6. Verify the patch is applied by checking the installed updates for the specific KB related to this CVE (check Microsoft Security Response Center for the KB number)
  7. 7. For enterprise deployments, use Windows Server Update Services (WSUS), Microsoft Intune, or Group Policy to push the security update to all affected systems
Caveat Standard Windows cumulative updates generally have minimal breaking changes; however, ensure critical applications are tested after kernel-level patches are applied

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

Fix this in Windows 10 1607 Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
8.0 hours of engineering $1,360
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An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,176.

Scan for this in your stack

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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-2026-26169 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