CVE-2026-32155: Desktop Window Manager Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
CVE-2026-32155 is an elevation of privilege vulnerability in Desktop Window Manager, rated Important by Microsoft, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8 (High). An attacker can exploit it by an attacker with local access, with low privileges and without user interaction. Microsoft has not reported exploitation in the wild and rates exploitation as less likely. The EPSS model estimates a 0.26% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 17% of all scored vulnerabilities. Microsoft released the fix on 14 April 2026 in the April 2026 Patch Tuesday, delivered through 6 security updates (KB5082142, KB5082200, KB5082063, KB5083769 and more). It affects 17 products in 2 product families (Windows, ESU).
Key facts
- CVE ID
- CVE-2026-32155
- Severity
- High CVSS 7.8
- Microsoft severity
- Important
- Impact
- Elevation of Privilege
- Exploited in the wild
- No
- Publicly disclosed
- No
- Exploitation likelihood
- Less Likely
- Weakness
- CWE-416
- EPSS
- 0.26% (percentile 17%)
- CISA KEV
- Not listed
- Released
- Last updated
- Patch Tuesday
- April 2026 Patch Tuesday
- Product families
- Windows, ESU
CVSS score and vector
Microsoft scores CVE-2026-32155 at 7.8 (temporal 6.8) using CVSS 3.1. Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:U/RL:O/RC:C
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Attack vector | Local |
| Attack complexity | Low |
| Privileges required | Low |
| User interaction | None |
| Scope | Unchanged |
| Confidentiality impact | High |
| Integrity impact | High |
| Availability impact | High |
| Exploit code maturity | Unproven |
| Remediation level | Official fix |
| Report confidence | Confirmed |
Description
Use after free in Desktop Window Manager allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
Frequently asked questions (Microsoft)
What privileges could be gained by an attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability?
An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could potentially gain the ability to crash the system by exploiting the use-after-free vulnerability, even as a standard user.
Affected products (17)
Windows
| Product | Security update | Type | Fixed build | Restart |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windows Server 2022 | KB5082142 | Security Update | 10.0.20348.5020 | Yes |
| Windows Server 2022 (Server Core installation) | KB5082142 | Security Update | 10.0.20348.5020 | Yes |
| Windows 10 Version 21H2 for 32-bit Systems | KB5082200 | Security Update | 10.0.19044.7184 | Yes |
| Windows 10 Version 21H2 for ARM64-based Systems | KB5082200 | Security Update | 10.0.19044.7184 | Yes |
| Windows 10 Version 21H2 for x64-based Systems | KB5082200 | Security Update | 10.0.19044.7184 | Yes |
| Windows Server 2025 (Server Core installation) | KB5082063 | Security Update | 10.0.26100.32690 | Yes |
| Windows 11 Version 25H2 for ARM64-based Systems | KB5083769 | Security Update | 10.0.26200.8246 | Yes |
| Windows 11 Version 25H2 for x64-based Systems | KB5083769 | Security Update | 10.0.26200.8246 | Yes |
| Windows 11 Version 23H2 for ARM64-based Systems | KB5082052 | Security Update | 10.0.22631.6936 | Yes |
| Windows 11 Version 23H2 for x64-based Systems | KB5082052 | Security Update | 10.0.22631.6936 | Yes |
| Windows Server 2022, 23H2 Edition (Server Core installation) | KB5082060 | Security Update | 10.0.25398.2274 | Yes |
| Windows 11 Version 24H2 for ARM64-based Systems | ||||
| Windows 11 Version 24H2 for x64-based Systems | ||||
| Windows Server 2025 | KB5082063 | Security Update | 10.0.26100.32690 | Yes |
ESU
| Product | Security update | Type | Fixed build | Restart |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windows 10 Version 22H2 for x64-based Systems | ||||
| Windows 10 Version 22H2 for ARM64-based Systems | ||||
| Windows 10 Version 22H2 for 32-bit Systems |
Security updates (6)
NIST NVD data
- NVD status
- Analyzed
- NVD CVSS
- 7.8 (HIGH)
- NVD weakness
- CWE-416
- Published to NVD
- NVD last modified
Affected configurations (CPE)
| Product | Vulnerable versions |
|---|---|
| windows 10 21h2 (arm64) | before 10.0.19044.7184 |
| windows 10 21h2 (x64) | before 10.0.19044.7184 |
| windows 10 21h2 (x86) | before 10.0.19044.7184 |
| windows 10 22h2 (arm64) | before 10.0.19045.7184 |
| windows 10 22h2 (x64) | before 10.0.19045.7184 |
| windows 10 22h2 (x86) | before 10.0.19045.7184 |
| windows 11 23h2 (arm64) | before 10.0.22631.6936 |
| windows 11 23h2 (x64) | before 10.0.22631.6936 |
| windows 11 24h2 (arm64) | before 10.0.26100.8246 |
| windows 11 24h2 (x64) | before 10.0.26100.8246 |
| windows 11 25h2 (arm64) | before 10.0.26200.8246 |
| windows 11 25h2 (x64) | before 10.0.26200.8246 |
| windows server 2022 | before 10.0.20348.5020 |
| windows server 2022 23h2 | before 10.0.25398.2274 |
| windows server 2025 | before 10.0.26100.32690 |
References
- https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-32155 (Vendor Advisory)
Acknowledgments
Revision history
| Version | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | Information published. |