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Systems

CVE-2026-50398

8.8
High
EPSS 0.57%Patch availableJul 15, 2026

Race condition in Windows Media allows privilege escalation over network.

common questions

Is CVE-2026-50398 being exploited?

Not confirmed. CVE-2026-50398 does not appear in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, which records only exploitation that has been observed and reported publicly. That is evidence of absence of a report, not evidence the flaw is unattacked. EPSS currently estimates a 0.57% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How severe is CVE-2026-50398?

CVE-2026-50398 is rated High with a CVSS score of 8.8. Severity describes how bad exploitation would be, not how likely it is: pair it with exploitation evidence before deciding what to patch first.

Is there a patch for CVE-2026-50398?

Yes. A fix has been recorded for CVE-2026-50398. The vendor advisory is the authority on the exact fixed version — apply it from there rather than from a summary.

What does CVE-2026-50398 affect?

CVE-2026-50398 affects Windows Media components, Windows Media Player, Windows Server media-related services. Confirm the exact affected versions against the vendor advisory before deciding you are exposed.

What should I do about CVE-2026-50398?

Apply vendor patch when available; restrict Windows Media network access and monitor logs.

Exploitation status reflects CISA's KEV catalog as we last synced it. Check the catalog directly.

executive summary
technical analysis
affected
Windows Media componentsWindows Media PlayerWindows Server media-related services
impact

Authorized attacker can exploit a race condition in Windows Media to elevate privileges (local to SYSTEM) via network-accessible media service.

action required

Immediate action required

affected versions
Microsoft Windows 11 Version 24H2
  • affected>= 10.0.26100.0 and < 10.0.26100.8875
Microsoft Windows 11 Version 25H2
  • affected>= 10.0.26200.0 and < 10.0.26200.8875
Microsoft Windows 11 version 26H1
  • affected>= 10.0.28000.0 and < 10.0.28000.2525
Microsoft Windows Server 2025
  • affected>= 10.0.26100.0 and < 10.0.26100.33158
Microsoft Windows Server 2025 (Server Core installation)
  • affected>= 10.0.26100.0 and < 10.0.26100.33158

As published in the CVE Program record. A version outside these ranges is not a statement that it is unaffected — vendors sometimes understate a range, and distribution-backported builds carry upstream numbers that do not reflect what was patched into them.

how to fix
Remediation steps are tailored for users whose stack is affected. Add this technology to your stack to see the fix checklist.
references
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