CVE-2026-72981 IP Helper Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
An attacker can execute arbitrary code remotely via a use-after-free flaw in the Windows IP Helper service.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Not needed
- Attackable
- Over the internet
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- None listed
What is CVE-2026-72981?
CVE-2026-72981 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Microsoft Windows 10 1607, published on 8 Sep 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Official description
Use after free in IP Helper allows an unauthorized attacker to execute code over a network.
Weakness: CWE-416
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-72981?
It affects 13 products.
Products include Microsoft Windows 10 1607, Microsoft Windows 10 1809, Microsoft Windows 10 21h2, Microsoft Windows 10 22h2, Microsoft Windows 11 23h2, Microsoft Windows 11 24h2 and 7 more.
How do I fix CVE-2026-72981?
No fix has been published for CVE-2026-72981 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.
Upgrade to the fixed version. These bugs are found with fuzzing and sanitisers and avoided by memory-safe languages. More about Use after free.
Is CVE-2026-72981 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-72981 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Other vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows 10 1607
- CVE-2026-33824 Microsoft Internet Key Exchange (IKE) Service Extensions Double Free
- CVE-2026-21510 Microsoft Windows Shell Protection Mechanism Failure
- CVE-2026-21513 Microsoft MSHTML Framework Protection Mechanism Failure
- CVE-2023-32049 Microsoft Windows Defender SmartScreen Security Feature Bypass
- CVE-2023-29360 Microsoft Streaming Service Untrusted Pointer Dereference
Sources
Also known as GHSA-wh87-chfg-g986.