CVE-2026-96920

7.8High

Published 13 Oct 2026 · NVD status: Undergoing Analysis · AI triage by gemini-3.8-flash

7.8High

Attack vector: Local
Complexity: Low
Privileges needed: Low
User interaction: None
Impact: Full C/I/A compromise
Weakness: CWE-122

Impact

Local authenticated users can escalate privileges to SYSTEM. The attacker needs an existing local account with low privileges to trigger the vulnerability.

Root cause

A heap-based buffer overflow in the Windows Program Compatibility Assistant Service (PcaSvc).

Affected systems

Versions not listed — check the vendor advisory.

CVSS v3.1 · CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Fix & remediation

Install the Microsoft security update for this vulnerability from the MSRC advisory. As a temporary workaround, stop and disable the Program Compatibility Assistant Service (PcaSvc) if patching cannot be done immediately.

shell

$ Stop-Service -Name 'PcaSvc' -Force; Set-Service -Name 'PcaSvc' -StartupType Disabled

AI-suggested. Run it in staging first and check it against the vendor advisory. Why?

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NVD description

Heap-based buffer overflow in Windows Program Compatibility Assistant Service allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.

References

https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-96920

Source: nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-96920