CVE-2026-33101: Windows Print Spooler Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
CVE-2026-33101 is an elevation of privilege vulnerability in Windows Print Spooler, 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 unlikely. The EPSS model estimates a 0.22% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 13% of all scored vulnerabilities. Microsoft released the fix on 14 April 2026 in the April 2026 Patch Tuesday, delivered through 4 security updates (KB5082063, KB5083769, KB5082060, KB5083768). It affects 9 products in 1 product family (Windows).
Key facts
- CVE ID
- CVE-2026-33101
- Severity
- High CVSS 7.8
- Microsoft severity
- Important
- Impact
- Elevation of Privilege
- Exploited in the wild
- No
- Publicly disclosed
- No
- Exploitation likelihood
- Unlikely
- Weakness
- CWE-416
- EPSS
- 0.22% (percentile 13%)
- CISA KEV
- Not listed
- Released
- Last updated
- Patch Tuesday
- April 2026 Patch Tuesday
- Product families
- Windows
CVSS score and vector
Microsoft scores CVE-2026-33101 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 Windows Print Spooler Components allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
Frequently asked questions (Microsoft)
What privileges could be gained by an attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability?
An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could gain SYSTEM privileges.
Affected products (9)
Windows
| Product | Security update | Type | Fixed build | Restart |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 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 |
| Windows 11 Version 26H1 for ARM64-based Systems | KB5083768 | Security Update | 10.0.28000.1836 | Yes |
| Windows 11 version 26H1 for x64-based Systems | KB5083768 | Security Update | 10.0.28000.1836 | Yes |
Security updates (4)
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 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 11 26h1 (arm64) | before 10.0.28000.1836 |
| windows 11 26h1 (x64) | before 10.0.28000.1836 |
| 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-2026-33101 (Vendor Advisory)
Acknowledgments
Revision history
| Version | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | Information published. |