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Microsoft released a security update on August 11, 2026, for CVE-2026-68820, a Windows WinSock Ancillary Function Driver vulnerability that attackers had exploited before the fix was available. It is a local privilege-escalation flaw—not a remote-entry vulnerability. Microsoft advises affected customers to install the update promptly.
What is CVE-2026-68820?
Microsoft identifies CVE-2026-68820 as an elevation-of-privilege vulnerability in the Windows Ancillary Function Driver for WinSock. The Microsoft-assigned CVE record describes a use-after-free that can let an authorized attacker elevate privileges locally. The record gives the issue a CVSS 3.1 score of 7.0 (High). OpenCVE’s reproduction of the Microsoft-assigned CVE record contains the detailed description and score.
Because exploitation was observed before Microsoft released the update, it is accurate to call the vulnerability an actively exploited zero-day at patch time. The available information does not identify an attacker group, the initial-access method, or how many systems were compromised.
Which Windows versions need the August 2026 update?
The CVE-specific affected-product record lists these Windows releases. Inclusion identifies a potentially affected release; check the Microsoft CVE entry and the corresponding knowledge base (KB) article for exact build applicability and the fix for your device.
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| Product | Affected releases listed |
|---|---|
| Windows 10 | 1607, 1809, 21H2, 22H2 |
| Windows 11 | 23H2, 24H2, 25H2, 26H1 |
| Windows Server | 2012, 2012 R2, 2016, 2019, 2022, 2025 |
These version ranges come from OpenCVE’s reproduction of Microsoft’s CVE record. They do not provide a single fixed build number for every product and servicing path. Use Microsoft’s Security Update Guide and the KB for your precise product and build to confirm whether the update applies and whether it is installed.
Microsoft’s August bulletin covers many update families, including Office, Exchange, SQL Server, Dynamics 365, Azure, .NET, Visual Studio, and Defender. Their presence in the monthly bulletin does not mean they are affected by this Windows CVE; use the CVE-specific affected-product listing to determine exposure.
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How to install the patch for CVE-2026-68820
- Identify your Windows edition and build. Open Settings > System > About and note the Windows version and OS build. On managed devices, use your organization’s inventory or endpoint-management tools.
- Check Microsoft’s CVE and KB guidance. Find CVE-2026-68820 in the Microsoft Security Update Guide, then open the KB article matching your product, build, and servicing channel. Use the KB to verify the fixed build and any known issues.
- Install through your normal update channel. For a personally managed Windows device, open Settings > Windows Update, select Check for updates, and install the applicable security update. For a managed fleet, deploy the update through the organization’s established servicing or device-management process, following Microsoft’s KB and deployment guidance.
- Confirm installation. After the update completes and any required restart, check the OS build again and compare it with the fixed build in the applicable KB. Administrators should verify deployment status across managed devices rather than assume that an update was installed everywhere.
Microsoft’s August bulletin, dated August 11, 2026, says affected customers should apply security updates promptly. It notes that automatic updates are enabled by default for some Microsoft products, subject to exceptions; that does not establish that every Windows device has already received or installed this fix. The bulletin also lists hotpatch KBs for some eligible configurations, so administrators should use the instructions for the exact product, servicing channel, and hotpatch status. See Microsoft’s update guidance for the relevant KB and known-issue information.
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