🎨 Beware: A vulnerability in Windows 11’s Paint app, identified as CVE-2026-83844, has been rated 8.

🎨 Beware: A vulnerability in Windows 11’s Paint app, identified as CVE-2026-83844, has been rated 8.1 out of 10 for severity. It is an out-of-bounds read flaw (CWE-125): processing a specially crafted image or data packet can make Paint read beyond an allocated memory buffer. The report says exploitation requires no user action and may enable malicious code injection.

Microsoft released a patched Paint version on October 13, 2026, but the update reportedly has not installed on some Windows 11 computers, despite automatic Microsoft Store updates being enabled. Antivirus alerts have also flagged outdated installations. Version 11.2603.251.0 is cited as an affected installation, while 11.2609.401.0 is the patched release. The reason some devices remain outdated is unknown. The report does not specify whether all earlier versions are affected or explain how the read flaw enables code injection.

To check the installed version, open Settings, select Apps, then Installed Apps. Find Paint, choose the three-dot menu, and open Advanced options. The vulnerability was patched in version 11.2609.401.0.