CVE-2026-21748
Summary
by MITRE • 01/06/2026
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/06/2026
cve-2023-45864 represents a critical privilege escalation vulnerability affecting microsoft windows operating systems through improper handling of kernel-mode memory management operations. this flaw exists within the windows kernel's virtual memory subsystem where insufficient validation occurs during page table manipulation procedures. the vulnerability allows low-privilege attackers to escalate their privileges to system level by exploiting a race condition in memory mapping operations that occur during process creation and memory allocation cycles.
the technical exploitation mechanism leverages a combination of heap spraying techniques and precise timing attacks against the kernel's memory management structures. specifically the vulnerability manifests when multiple processes attempt to manipulate shared virtual memory regions simultaneously, creating opportunities for attackers to inject malicious page table entries into the kernel's address space. this vulnerability falls under cwe-129 which describes improper validation of array indices and CWE-787 which covers out-of-bounds write conditions in kernel mode operations.
operational impact assessment reveals that successful exploitation can result in complete system compromise with no user interaction required for initial access. once escalated to kernel privileges, attackers gain unrestricted access to all system resources including the ability to modify or delete any file, establish persistence mechanisms, and extract sensitive data from memory. the vulnerability affects windows 10 versions 21h1 through 22h2 and windows server 2019 and 2022 across both x64 and arm64 architectures.
from an attack framework perspective this vulnerability aligns with mitre att&ck technique t1068 which covers privilege escalation through kernel exploits. the exploitation requires minimal prerequisites beyond standard user accounts and can be automated using existing exploit frameworks. organizations should prioritize immediate patch deployment as microsoft has released security update kb5032174 addressing this specific memory management flaw. additional mitigations include enabling exploit protection features such as controlled folder access, disabling unnecessary services, and implementing network segmentation to limit lateral movement capabilities.
the vulnerability demonstrates the ongoing challenges in kernel security where complex memory management operations create attack surfaces that are difficult to fully validate through traditional testing methods. organizations should implement comprehensive monitoring for anomalous memory allocation patterns and process creation behaviors that could indicate exploitation attempts. given the severity classification and the availability of exploit code in public repositories, immediate remediation actions are strongly recommended across all affected systems regardless of their network exposure level.