📄 Description (English)
Use after free in Windows Ancillary Function Driver for WinSock allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
🤖 AI Executive Summary
CVE-2026-35416 is a use-after-free vulnerability in Windows Ancillary Function Driver for WinSock affecting multiple Windows 10 versions. An authorized local attacker can exploit this flaw to elevate privileges, potentially gaining system-level access. With a CVSS score of 7.0 and no patch currently available, this poses a significant risk to Saudi organizations relying on Windows infrastructure.
📄 Description (Arabic)
🤖 AI Intelligence Analysis Analyzed: May 17, 2026 17:33
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia Impact Assessment
This vulnerability primarily impacts Saudi government agencies, banking sector (SAMA-regulated institutions), healthcare organizations, and large enterprises running Windows 10 across their infrastructure. Government entities using Windows 10 for administrative functions face elevated privilege escalation risks. Banking and financial institutions are at risk if internal systems run affected Windows versions. Telecom operators (STC, Mobily) and energy sector organizations (ARAMCO subsidiaries) with Windows-based operational technology face potential system compromise. The local authentication requirement limits exposure but remains critical for insider threat scenarios.
🏢 Affected Saudi Sectors
Government and Public Administration
Banking and Financial Services
Healthcare and Medical Institutions
Energy and Utilities (ARAMCO, subsidiaries)
Telecommunications (STC, Mobily, Zain)
Large Enterprises and Corporations
Education and Universities
🎯 MITRE ATT&CK Techniques
T1548.004 - Abuse Elevation Control Mechanism: Bypass User Account Control
T1548 - Abuse Elevation Control Mechanism
T1134 - Access Token Manipulation
T1547 - Boot or Logon Autostart Execution
T1547.001 - Registry Run Keys / Startup Folder
T1053 - Scheduled Task/Job
T1543 - Create or Modify System Process
⚖️ Saudi Risk Score (AI)
7.2
/ 10.0
🔧 Remediation Steps (English)
Immediate Actions:
1. Inventory all Windows 10 systems (versions 1607, 1809, 21H2, 22H2) across your organization
2. Restrict local administrative access and implement principle of least privilege
3. Monitor for suspicious privilege escalation attempts in Windows Event Logs (Event ID 4688, 4689)
4. Disable unnecessary network services and WinSock-dependent applications if possible
Compensating Controls (until patch available):
5. Implement application whitelisting to prevent unauthorized privilege escalation tools
6. Enable Windows Defender Exploit Guard and Attack Surface Reduction rules
7. Deploy endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions with behavioral monitoring
8. Restrict user account control (UAC) bypass techniques through Group Policy
9. Monitor process creation events for suspicious WinSock driver interactions
10. Implement network segmentation to limit lateral movement post-exploitation
Detection Rules:
- Monitor for abnormal WinSock driver (afd.sys) access patterns
- Alert on privilege escalation from low-privilege to SYSTEM context
- Track unusual memory allocation and deallocation patterns in kernel space
- Monitor for exploitation attempts using known privilege escalation techniques
🔧 خطوات المعالجة (العربية)
الإجراءات الفورية:
1. قم بحصر جميع أنظمة Windows 10 (الإصدارات 1607، 1809، 21H2، 22H2) عبر مؤسستك
2. قيد الوصول الإداري المحلي وطبق مبدأ الامتياز الأقل
3. راقب محاولات رفع الامتيازات المريبة في سجلات أحداث Windows (معرف الحدث 4688، 4689)
4. عطل الخدمات غير الضرورية والتطبيقات المعتمدة على WinSock إن أمكن
الضوابط البديلة (حتى توفر التصحيح):
5. طبق قائمة بيضاء للتطبيقات لمنع أدوات رفع الامتيازات غير المصرح بها
6. فعّل Windows Defender Exploit Guard وقواعد تقليل سطح الهجوم
7. نشر حلول الكشف والاستجابة للنقاط النهائية (EDR) مع المراقبة السلوكية
8. قيد تقنيات تجاوز التحكم في حساب المستخدم (UAC) من خلال سياسة المجموعة
9. راقب أحداث إنشاء العمليات للتفاعلات المريبة مع برنامج تشغيل WinSock
10. طبق تقسيم الشبكة لتحديد الحركة الجانبية بعد الاستغلال
قواعد الكشف:
- راقب أنماط الوصول غير الطبيعية لبرنامج تشغيل WinSock (afd.sys)
- أصدر تنبيهات عند رفع الامتيازات من سياق منخفض الامتياز إلى سياق SYSTEM
- تتبع أنماط تخصيص وإلغاء تخصيص الذاكرة غير المعتادة في مساحة النواة
- راقب محاولات الاستغلال باستخدام تقنيات رفع الامتيازات المعروفة
📋 Regulatory Compliance Mapping
🟢 NCA ECC 2024
A.5.1.1 - Information security policies and procedures
A.5.2.1 - User access management and privilege management
A.5.2.3 - Management of privileged access rights
A.5.3.1 - Password management
A.8.1.1 - Audit logging and monitoring
A.8.2.1 - Event logging
A.8.3.1 - Protection of log information
🔵 SAMA CSF
ID.AM-2 - Software inventory and asset management
PR.AC-1 - Access control policy and procedures
PR.AC-4 - Access rights and privileges management
DE.CM-1 - System monitoring and anomaly detection
DE.CM-3 - Unauthorized software detection
RS.MI-2 - Incident response and containment
🟡 ISO 27001:2022
A.5.15 - Access control
A.5.16 - Cryptography
A.8.1 - Audit logging
A.8.2 - Monitoring activities
A.8.3 - Protection of log information
A.12.4.1 - Event logging
A.12.6.1 - Management of technical vulnerabilities
🟣 PCI DSS v4.0.1
Requirement 2.1 - Default security parameters
Requirement 6.2 - Security patches and updates
Requirement 8.1 - User identification and authentication
Requirement 10.2 - Audit logging
📦 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