CVE-2026-85880
CVE-2026-85880 — Windows Advanced Local Procedure Call (ALPC) Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
Heap-based buffer overflow in Windows ALPC allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
Published Updated Sources: NVD, Microsoft (CNA), CISA, GitHub, GitHub Security Advisory, SOCRadar CTI
Triage
Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the scoring sources call it.
Exploitation
Confirmed
CISA KEV, listed Sep 8, 2026
EPSS
0%
ahead of 0% of scored CVEs
CVSS base
7.8
high · 2 sources
CISA SSVC assessment
Three decision points CISA publishes for the CVEs it assesses · SSVC 2.0.3. A stakeholder decision, not a severity score.
Exploitation
Active
none · proof-of-concept · active
Automatable
No
can an attacker script all four kill-chain steps
Technical impact
Total
partial · total control of the vulnerable component
Remediation
The vendor's own words where we have them.
Upgrade Windows 10 Version 1607 to a fixed release. Apply vendor patches per advisory and restrict external exposure of the affected component until patched.
CISA required action
Apply mitigations in accordance with vendor instructions, ensuring compliance with CISA’s BOD 26-04 Prioritizing Security Updates Based on Risk (see URL in Notes) guidance and CISA’s “Forensics Triage Requirements” (see URL in Notes). Follow applicable BOD 26-04 guidance for cloud services or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable. Stakeholders are responsible for evaluating each asset's internet exposure and ensuring adherence to BOD 26-04 patching guidelines.
Federal deadline Sep 22, 2026 — in 12 days
First 24 hours
Ordered from the record's own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found.
- Identify exposed assets running affected vendor/product/version combinations.
- Treat as emergency remediation because CISA KEV status is present.
- Search available logs for exploit probes, errors, authentication anomalies, or suspicious child processes matching the vulnerability class.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and version as the advisories word them.
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft | Windows 10 Version 1607 | 10.0.14393.0 to < 10.0.14393.9512 | Vulnerable |
| Microsoft | Windows 10 Version 1809 | 10.0.17763.0 to < 10.0.17763.9245 | Vulnerable |
| Microsoft | Windows 10 Version 21H2 | 10.0.19044.0 to < 10.0.19044.7725 | Vulnerable |
| Microsoft | Windows 10 Version 22H2 | 10.0.19045.0 to < 10.0.19045.7725 | Vulnerable |
| Microsoft | Windows Server 2012 | 6.2.9200.0 to < 6.2.9200.26349 | Vulnerable |
| Microsoft | Windows Server 2012 (Server Core installation) | 6.2.9200.0 to < 6.2.9200.26349 | Vulnerable |
| Microsoft | Windows Server 2012 R2 | 6.3.9600.0 to < 6.3.9600.23397 | Vulnerable |
| Microsoft | Windows Server 2012 R2 (Server Core installation) | 6.3.9600.0 to < 6.3.9600.23397 | Vulnerable |
| Microsoft | Windows Server 2016 | 10.0.14393.0 to < 10.0.14393.9512 | Vulnerable |
| Microsoft | Windows Server 2016 (Server Core installation) | 10.0.14393.0 to < 10.0.14393.9512 | Vulnerable |
| Microsoft | Windows Server 2019 | 10.0.17763.0 to < 10.0.17763.9245 | Vulnerable |
| Microsoft | Windows Server 2019 (Server Core installation) | 10.0.17763.0 to < 10.0.17763.9245 | Vulnerable |
Attack characteristics
The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.
Availability
High
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Scope
Unchanged
Attack Complexity
Low
Attack Vector
Local
Privileges Req
Low
User Interaction
None
Every base score collected
Sources score independently and disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.
| Score | Version | Severity | Expl. | Impact | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7.8 | CVSS 3.1 | high | 1.8 | 5.9 | Microsoft (CNA), GHSA |
| 7.8 | CVSS 3.1 | high | — | — | Microsoft (CNA) |
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
What this weakness leads to
MITRE's own consequences and mitigations for the weakness class — the authority's wording, not guidance derived from the CVSS vector.
CWE-122 · Heap-based Buffer Overflow
- DoS: Crash, Exit, or Restart
- DoS: Resource Consumption (CPU)
- DoS: Resource Consumption (Memory)
- Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands
Mitigation: Pre-design: Use a language or compiler that performs automatic bounds checking.
CWE-908 · Use of Uninitialized Resource
- Read Memory
- Read Application Data
- DoS: Crash, Exit, or Restart
Mitigation: Explicitly initialize the resource before use. If this is performed through an API function or standard procedure, follow all required steps.
Weakness & attack patterns
- CWE-122Heap-based Buffer Overflow
- CWE-908
Attack patterns reported against this CVE. The ATT&CK techniques below are inferred from its weakness class.
CISA KEV details
CISA lists a CVE here once it has evidence of exploitation against real targets.
Listed
Sep 8, 2026
Federal deadline
Sep 22, 2026
in 12 days
Ransomware use
Unknown
CISA records ransomware use only for campaigns it has confirmed, so “Unknown” means unrecorded, not ruled out. The deadline binds US federal agencies; for everyone else it is a date to argue against.
Public exploit
Capability, not use: code existing is a different claim from anyone running it.
Repositories
5
1 of the 5 sampled are weaponized
Social mentions
Posts naming this CVE. Attention, not evidence of exploitation — it spikes on disclosure and decays whether or not anything is exploited.
Microsoft's September Patch Tuesday fixes two actively exploited Windows privilege-escalation zero-days: CVE-2026-81963 in Windows Update Stack and CVE-2026-85880 in Windows ALPC. #Cybersecurity #PatchTuesday https://t.co/U7kHsDzlaz
@Divinmentis· Sep 8, 2026
Microsoft’s September 2026 Patch Tuesday addresses 964 CVEs (CVE-2026-81963, CVE-2026-85880) https://t.co/LNs1nBSmWN https://t.co/7JHLuLIrln
@TechMash365· Sep 8, 2026
Microsoft’s September Patch Tuesday is a monster drop — reports put it near a record ~974 CVEs across the catalog, with two actively exploited local EoP zero-days: CVE-2026-85880 in Windows ALPC and CVE-2026-81963 in the Update Stack (both path to SYSTEM). Windows 11 cumulative https://t.co/F1pKB7SFA6
@sabatage· Sep 8, 2026
News: Microsoft Sep 2026 Patch Tuesday is its largest ever: 966 flaws and 2 actively exploited zero-days. CVE-2026-81963 (Update Stack EoP to SYSTEM) and CVE-2026-85880 (ALPC EoP to SYSTEM). Patch Windows now. https://t.co/5jlF58ibty
@snakeyesV1· Sep 8, 2026
Microsoft September 2026 Patch Tuesday fixes a record 966 flaws, including two exploited zero-days: CVE-2026-81963 (Windows Update Stack EoP to SYSTEM) and CVE-2026-85880 (Windows ALPC EoP to SYSTEM). 105 Critical, 81 of them RCE. Microsoft ties the volume jump to AI-powered
@XavierRiveraX· Sep 8, 2026
1 more posts on this CVEShowing 5 of 6 · Who is discussing this CVE, and how loudlyUnlock freeDetection
Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not rules we have tested.
- Monitor for scanner or exploit-pattern traffic after 5 public PoC repositories were reported.
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first — with the readings a source repeats on a schedule counted underneath rather than listed.
- 2026
Added to CISA KEV catalog
Sep 8, 2026 · CISA
Added · CVSS 3.1 7.8 (AV:L)
Sep 8, 2026 · NVD
Initial · CVE published
Sep 8, 2026 · NVD
Added · GHSA-96fm-jjf3-wv64 published (high)
Sep 8, 2026 · GitHub Security Advisory
CVE published by MITRE.
Sep 8, 2026 · SOCRadar CTI
Source activity
Readings a source repeats on a schedule, counted rather than listed.
- 1×CVE modified by NIST: CISA KEV details updated.Sep 8, 2026 · SOCRadar CTI
References
7 on the record
- msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-85880
Patch, Vendor Advisory, Mitre, NIST
- www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2026-85880
US Government Resource, NIST
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-85880
NVD, Vendor Advisory
- github.com/advisories/GHSA-96fm-jjf3-wv64
Exploit, Third Party Advisory
- msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/en-US/vulnerability/CVE-2026-85880
Vendor Advisory
- www.cisa.gov/news-events/directives/bod-26-04-prioritizing-security-updates-based-risk
US Government Resource
- www.cisa.gov/news-events/directives/bod-26-04-implementation-guidance-prioritizing-security-updates-based-risk
US Government Resource
Coverage
4 stories from the feeds we poll
September 2026 Microsoft Patch Tuesday, (Tue, Sep 8th)
isc.sans.edu · Sep 8, 2026
Microsoft Plugs Nearly 1,000 Security Holes
krebsonsecurity.com · Sep 8, 2026
Microsoft Patch Tuesday Update September 2026 - 974 Vulnerabilities Fixed, Including 2 Zero-Days - CyberSecurityNews
cybersecuritynews.com · Sep 8, 2026
CVE-2026-85880 Windows Advanced Local Procedure Call (ALPC) Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
msrc.microsoft.com · Sep 8, 2026
Elsewhere on this site
- Microsoftevery CVE for this vendor
- September 2026what else CISA listed
- Memory Corruptionsame class
- CWE-122other pages naming this weakness
Not in any source we poll
Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.
- No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
- No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
- No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.
Answered from this record1
What should defenders know first?
CVE-2026-85880 is Windows Advanced Local Procedure Call (ALPC) Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability, a high vulnerability affecting Windows 10 Version 1607, Windows 10 Version 1809, Windows 10 Version 21H2, Windows 10 Version 22H2, Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2012 (Server Core installation), Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2012 R2 (Server Core installation), Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2016 (Server Core installation), Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2019 (Server Core installation), Windows Server 2022 from Microsoft. The current evidence lists it in CISA KEV, and the exploit status is: Yes: CISA KEV signal present. Public exploit evidence is: 5 public PoC repositories reported; 1 marked weaponized in current dataset. The affected-version evidence is listed in the key facts and affected products tables. Defenders should first verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run those versions, then apply vendor patches or mitigations, restrict reachable attack surface, and preserve logs for detection review. CVSS 7.8 describes technical severity, while EPSS 0% helps estimate near-term exploit likelihood; neither replaces asset context. Unknown fields should remain explicit in tickets, and threat actor, IOC, victimology, or payload claims should not be added unless a cited source supports them. Monitor CISA KEV, vendor advisories, NVD changes, public PoC repositories, and internal telemetry for update triggers.