📄 Description (English)
Improper access control in Windows Ancillary Function Driver for WinSock allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
🤖 AI Executive Summary
CVE-2026-25176 is a privilege escalation vulnerability in Windows Ancillary Function Driver for WinSock affecting multiple Windows 10 versions. An authorized local attacker can exploit improper access controls to elevate privileges to SYSTEM level. With a CVSS score of 7.8 and no public exploit currently available, this poses a significant risk to Saudi organizations relying on Windows infrastructure, particularly in government and banking sectors where privilege escalation could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive systems.
📄 Description (Arabic)
🤖 AI Intelligence Analysis Analyzed: Apr 29, 2026 07:01
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia Impact Assessment
This vulnerability poses significant risk to Saudi banking sector (SAMA-regulated institutions), government agencies (NCA oversight), and critical infrastructure operators. Windows 10 is widely deployed across Saudi organizations for workstations and servers. Privilege escalation could enable lateral movement within networks, access to classified government data, financial systems compromise, and healthcare system disruption. Energy sector (ARAMCO, utilities) and telecommunications (STC, Mobily) are particularly vulnerable due to reliance on Windows-based operational technology and administrative systems. The vulnerability requires local access, limiting exposure but creating insider threat risks.
🏢 Affected Saudi Sectors
Banking and Financial Services
Government and Public Administration
Healthcare
Energy and Utilities
Telecommunications
Critical Infrastructure
Education
Manufacturing
🎯 MITRE ATT&CK Techniques
⚖️ Saudi Risk Score (AI)
7.8
/ 10.0
🔧 Remediation Steps (English)
IMMEDIATE ACTIONS:
1. Prioritize patching Windows 10 systems (versions 1607, 1809, 21H2, 22H2) across all architectures (x86, x64, ARM64)
2. Apply Microsoft security updates immediately upon availability
3. Inventory all Windows 10 systems in your environment and create patching schedule
PATCHING GUIDANCE:
1. Deploy patches through Windows Update, WSUS, or Microsoft Update Catalog
2. Test patches in non-production environment first
3. Prioritize critical systems: domain controllers, administrative workstations, servers with sensitive data
4. Implement phased rollout to minimize business disruption
COMPENSATING CONTROLS (if patching delayed):
1. Restrict local administrative access and enforce principle of least privilege
2. Implement application whitelisting to prevent unauthorized driver loading
3. Monitor and audit local privilege escalation attempts
4. Disable unnecessary network services and drivers
5. Enforce strong authentication for local accounts
DETECTION RULES:
1. Monitor for suspicious WinSock driver access patterns
2. Alert on failed privilege escalation attempts in Event Viewer (Event ID 4672, 4673)
3. Track unauthorized modifications to driver files in System32\drivers
4. Monitor process creation with elevated privileges from non-system accounts
5. Implement EDR solutions to detect privilege escalation techniques (T1134)
🔧 خطوات المعالجة (العربية)
الإجراءات الفورية:
1. أولويات تصحيح أنظمة Windows 10 (الإصدارات 1607، 1809، 21H2، 22H2) عبر جميع المعماريات (x86، x64، ARM64)
2. تطبيق تحديثات أمان Microsoft فوراً عند توفرها
3. جرد جميع أنظمة Windows 10 في بيئتك وإنشاء جدول تصحيح
إرشادات التصحيح:
1. نشر التصحيحات عبر Windows Update أو WSUS أو Microsoft Update Catalog
2. اختبار التصحيحات في بيئة غير الإنتاج أولاً
3. إعطاء الأولوية للأنظمة الحرجة: متحكمات المجال، محطات العمل الإدارية، الخوادم التي تحتوي على بيانات حساسة
4. تنفيذ طرح متدرج لتقليل انقطاع الأعمال
الضوابط البديلة (إذا تأخر التصحيح):
1. تقييد الوصول الإداري المحلي وفرض مبدأ أقل امتياز
2. تنفيذ قائمة بيضاء للتطبيقات لمنع تحميل برامج التشغيل غير المصرح بها
3. مراقبة وتدقيق محاولات رفع الامتيازات المحلية
4. تعطيل الخدمات وبرامج التشغيل غير الضرورية
5. فرض المصادقة القوية للحسابات المحلية
قواعد الكشف:
1. مراقبة أنماط الوصول المريبة لبرنامج تشغيل WinSock
2. تنبيهات محاولات رفع الامتيازات الفاشلة في Event Viewer (معرف الحدث 4672، 4673)
3. تتبع التعديلات غير المصرح بها على ملفات برنامج التشغيل في System32\drivers
4. مراقبة إنشاء العمليات بامتيازات مرتفعة من حسابات غير النظام
5. تنفيذ حلول EDR للكشف عن تقنيات رفع الامتيازات (T1134)
📋 Regulatory Compliance Mapping
🟢 NCA ECC 2024
ECC 2024 - 5.1.1: Access Control Policy
ECC 2024 - 5.1.2: User Registration and De-registration
ECC 2024 - 5.2.1: User Access Management
ECC 2024 - 5.3.1: Management of Privileged Access Rights
ECC 2024 - 8.2.1: System Hardening
🔵 SAMA CSF
SAMA CSF - Governance & Risk Management: System Access Control
SAMA CSF - Protection & Defense: Privilege Management
SAMA CSF - Detection & Response: Anomaly Detection
SAMA CSF - Resilience: Patch Management
🟡 ISO 27001:2022
ISO 27001:2022 - A.5.2: Information Security Policies
ISO 27001:2022 - A.8.1: User Endpoint Devices
ISO 27001:2022 - A.8.2: Privileged Access Rights
ISO 27001:2022 - A.8.3: Information Access Restriction
ISO 27001:2022 - A.14.2: System Development and Change Management
🟣 PCI DSS v4.0.1
PCI DSS 4.0 - Requirement 2: Apply Secure Configurations
PCI DSS 4.0 - Requirement 7: Restrict Access to System Components
PCI DSS 4.0 - Requirement 10: Log and Monitor Access
📦 Affected Products / CPE 25 entries
microsoft:windows_10_1607
microsoft:windows_10_1607
microsoft:windows_10_1809
microsoft:windows_10_1809
microsoft:windows_10_21h2
microsoft:windows_10_21h2
microsoft:windows_10_21h2
microsoft:windows_10_22h2
microsoft:windows_10_22h2
microsoft:windows_10_22h2
microsoft:windows_11_23h2
microsoft:windows_11_23h2
microsoft:windows_11_24h2
microsoft:windows_11_24h2
microsoft:windows_11_25h2
microsoft:windows_11_25h2
microsoft:windows_11_26h1
microsoft:windows_11_26h1
microsoft:windows_server_2012:-
microsoft:windows_server_2012:r2
microsoft:windows_server_2016
microsoft:windows_server_2019
microsoft:windows_server_2022
microsoft:windows_server_2022_23h2
microsoft:windows_server_2025