{"description":"Trending threats, MITRE ATT\u0026CK coverage, and detection metadata — refreshed continuously.","feed_url":"https://feed.craftedsignal.io/tags/cve-2026-26173/","home_page_url":"https://feed.craftedsignal.io/","items":[{"_cs_actors":[],"_cs_cves":[{"cvss":7,"id":"CVE-2026-26173"}],"_cs_exploited":false,"_cs_products":[],"_cs_severities":["high"],"_cs_tags":["cve-2026-26173","privilege-escalation","windows"],"_cs_type":"advisory","_cs_vendors":[],"content_html":"\u003cp\u003eCVE-2026-26173 describes a race condition vulnerability within the Windows Ancillary Function Driver for WinSock. This vulnerability enables an authorized, local attacker to achieve privilege escalation on a vulnerable system. The specifics of exploitation aren\u0026rsquo;t detailed, but the core issue lies in the improper synchronization when the driver handles shared resources under concurrent execution. This vulnerability, reported on 2026-04-14, could allow an attacker to gain elevated system privileges and potentially take control of the compromised machine. While the exact scope of exploitation is yet unknown, successful exploitation would have a significant impact on the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the targeted system.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"attack-chain\"\u003eAttack Chain\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe attacker gains local access to the target Windows system.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe attacker triggers concurrent execution of specific operations within the WinSock driver using a crafted application.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe race condition occurs when multiple threads attempt to access and modify shared resources within the Ancillary Function Driver simultaneously.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDue to improper synchronization, one thread may read or write data in an inconsistent or unexpected state, leading to memory corruption.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe attacker exploits the memory corruption to overwrite critical system data structures related to privilege levels.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe attacker manipulates their own process token or security context by modifying the overwritten system data.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe attacker\u0026rsquo;s process gains elevated privileges, such as SYSTEM, allowing them to perform privileged operations.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe attacker leverages these elevated privileges to install malware, modify system settings, or exfiltrate sensitive data.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"impact\"\u003eImpact\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSuccessful exploitation of CVE-2026-26173 allows a local attacker to elevate their privileges to SYSTEM. This privilege escalation could allow attackers to install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights. The impact is significant as it allows a complete compromise of the affected system. This could lead to data theft, system instability, or the deployment of ransomware.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"recommendation\"\u003eRecommendation\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eApply the security update provided by Microsoft to patch CVE-2026-26173 as soon as possible (\u003ca href=\"https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-26173)\"\u003ehttps://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-26173)\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMonitor for unusual process creation events originating from system processes related to WinSock using the provided Sigma rule.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEnable auditing of privilege use, and deploy the provided Sigma rule to identify potential privilege escalation attempts.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n","date_modified":"2026-04-15T12:00:00Z","date_published":"2026-04-15T12:00:00Z","id":"/briefs/2026-04-cve-2026-26173/","summary":"CVE-2026-26173 is a race condition vulnerability in the Windows Ancillary Function Driver for WinSock that allows a local attacker to elevate privileges.","title":"Windows WinSock Race Condition Privilege Escalation (CVE-2026-26173)","url":"https://feed.craftedsignal.io/briefs/2026-04-cve-2026-26173/"}],"language":"en","title":"CraftedSignal Threat Feed — Cve-2026-26173","version":"https://jsonfeed.org/version/1.1"}