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Windows 11 24h2Operating system · Microsoft

CVE-2026-33101

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-04-14
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 10.0.25398.2274 / 10.0.26100.8246 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
Use after free in Windows Print Spooler Components 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

A use-after-free vulnerability in Windows Print Spooler Components allows a locally authorized attacker to elevate privileges to higher integrity levels. The vulnerability stems from improper memory management in the print spooler service, enabling an attacker with local access to execute arbitrary code with elevated SYSTEM privileges.

MitigationApply the Microsoft security update for CVE-2026-33101 immediately. If the Print Spooler service is not required, disable it as a defense-in-depth measure. Restrict print spooler access to authorized administrators only.

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 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
Windows Server 2022 23h2Operating system
Affected:< 10.0.25398.2274
Windows Server 2025Operating system
Affected:< 10.0.26100.32690

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
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/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 number
    Open Command Prompt or PowerShell and run: `winver` or `systeminfo | findstr /B /C:"OS Name" /C:"OS Version"` to display the installed Windows version and build number.
    Affected if The build number falls below the affected thresholds: below 10.0.26100.8246 for Windows 11 24h2, below 10.0.26200.8246 for Windows 11 25h2, below 10.0.28000.1836 for Windows 11 26h1, below 10.0.25398.2274 for Windows Server 2022 23h2, or below 10.0.26100.32690 for Windows Server 2025.
  2. Verify Print Spooler service status
    Open PowerShell and run: `Get-Service -Name Spooler` to check if the Print Spooler service is installed and its current state.
    Affected if The service exists and is in a Running state, indicating the vulnerable component is active on the system.
  3. Confirm Windows edition matches affected product list
    Run `winver` or check System Properties to identify the exact Windows edition (e.g., Windows 11 24h2, Windows Server 2025) and confirm it aligns with one of the affected product versions listed in the CVE.
    Affected if The Windows edition is one of the affected products (Windows 11 24h2, 25h2, 26h1, Windows Server 2022 23h2, or Windows Server 2025) and the build number is below the specified threshold.

The system is affected if it runs a Windows version within the affected product list with a build number lower than the specified threshold and has the Print Spooler service available.

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 10.0.25398.2274 / 10.0.26100.8246 / 10.0.26100.32690 or later
Fixed in 10.0.25398.227410.0.26100.824610.0.26100.32690
Interim mitigation

Apply the Microsoft security update for CVE-2026-33101 immediately. If the Print Spooler service is not required, disable it as a defense-in-depth measure. Restrict print spooler access to authorized administrators only.

Recommended fix High confidence

Upgrade to Windows 11 24h2 build 10.0.26100.8246+, 25h2 build 10.0.26200.8246+, 26h1 build 10.0.28000.1836+, Server 2022 23h2 build 10.0.25398.2274+, or Server 2025 build 10.0.26100.32690+ via Windows Update or Microsoft Update Catalog

  1. 1. Identify the current Windows version by running 'winver' or checking System Information
  2. 2. For Windows 11 24h2 (10.0.26100.8246 or earlier): Apply KB5055523 or later cumulative update
  3. 3. For Windows 11 25h2 (10.0.26200.8246 or earlier): Apply the latest cumulative update from Windows Update
  4. 4. For Windows 11 26h1 (10.0.28000.1836 or earlier): Apply the latest cumulative update from Windows Update
  5. 5. For Windows Server 2022 23h2 (10.0.25398.2274 or earlier): Apply KB5055484 or later cumulative update
  6. 6. For Windows Server 2025 (10.0.26100.32690 or earlier): Apply the latest cumulative update
  7. 7. After updating, verify the Print Spooler service is running: Run 'Get-Service Spooler' in PowerShell
  8. 8. Restart the affected system if required by the update
Caveat Standard Windows update; review release notes for any known compatibility issues before deployment in production environments

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

Fix this in Windows 11 24h2 Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
12.0 hours of engineering $2,130
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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-2026-33101 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