Security assessments indicate that CVE-2026-2636 presents a notable risk, potentially requiring prompt mitigation.
Status: Received on 25 Feb 2026, 20:23 UTC
Published on: 25 Feb 2026, 20:23 UTC
CVSS Release: version 3
df4dee71-de3a-4139-9588-11b62fe6c0ff
Secondary
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
CVE-2026-2636: This vulnerability is caused by a CWE‑159: "Improper Handling of Invalid Use of Special Elements" weakness, which leads to an unrecoverable inconsistency in the CLFS.sys driver. This condition forces a call to the KeBugCheckEx function, allowing an unprivileged user to trigger a system crash. Microsoft silently fixed this vulnerability in the September 2025 cumulative update for Windows 11 2024 LTSC and Windows Server 2025. Windows 25H2 (released in September) was released with the patch. Windows 1123h2 and earlier versions remain vulnerable.
The exploitability of CVE-2026-2636 depends on two key factors: attack complexity (the level of effort required to execute an exploit) and privileges required (the access level an attacker needs).
CVE-2026-2636 presents an accessible attack vector with minimal effort required. Restricting access controls and implementing security updates are critical to reducing exploitation risks.
A lower complexity and fewer privilege requirements make exploitation easier. Security teams should evaluate these aspects to determine the urgency of mitigation strategies, such as patch management and access control policies.
Attack Complexity (AC) measures the difficulty in executing an exploit. A high AC means that specific conditions must be met, making an attack more challenging, while a low AC means the vulnerability can be exploited with minimal effort.
Privileges Required (PR) determine the level of system access necessary for an attack. Vulnerabilities requiring no privileges are more accessible to attackers, whereas high privilege requirements limit exploitation to authorized users with elevated access.
Above is the CVSS Sub-score Breakdown for CVE-2026-2636, illustrating how Base, Impact, and Exploitability factors combine to form the overall severity rating. A higher sub-score typically indicates a more severe or easier-to-exploit vulnerability.
Below is the Impact Analysis for CVE-2026-2636, showing how Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability might be affected if the vulnerability is exploited. Higher values usually signal greater potential damage.
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