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Windows DNS Server CVE-2026-103560

| EUVDEUVD-2026-100383 MEDIUM
Missing Authorization (CWE-862)
2026-10-13 secure@microsoft.com GHSA-v4pr-c374-42fg
5.5
CVSS 3.1 · Vendor: microsoft
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Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain

  1. Access
    Obtain low-privileged local access to DNS server
  2. Exploit
    Invoke operation lacking authorization check
  3. Execution
    Tamper with DNS records or configuration
  4. Impact
    Integrity of name resolution compromised

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A01:2025 - Broken Access Control
ASVS 5.0
V8 - Authorization Authorization checks on every request
MITRE ATT&CK

1 technique across 1 tactic: Privilege Escalation

The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up.

Exploitation Conditions

Exploitation requires the target host to be running the Windows Server DNS Server role (affected builds: Server 2012/2012 R2/2016/2019/2022/2025, including Server Core installations). The attacker must already have local, low-privileged authenticated access to that server (AV:L, PR:L) - this cannot be triggered remotely or by an unauthenticated user, and no user interaction is required (UI:N). The flaw is a missing authorization check (CWE-862) that lets the authorized-but-under-privileged user tamper with DNS state; impact is limited to integrity (I:H), with no confidentiality or availability effect. The need for prior local access and existing credentials is the primary limiting factor reducing real-world risk.

Impact

This is a moderate-severity integrity flaw (CVSS 5.5) in the Windows Server DNS Server role, confirmed by the CVSS vector CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N. The signals are internally consistent and point to a LOW real-world priority relative to its severity: the attack vector is Local (AV:L) and requires pre-existing privileges (PR:L), so this is not a remotely exploitable, unauthenticated issue. Impact is limited to integrity/tampering (I:H) with no confidentiality (C:N) or availability (A:N) effect, matching the description's 'perform tampering' and CWE-862 (Missing Authorization). No EPSS score was provided in the input, the vulnerability is NOT in CISA KEV, and no public exploit is referenced, so there is no evidence of active or likely exploitation. SSVC framing: exploitation status = none observed, automatable = unlikely (requires local authenticated access), technical impact = partial (integrity only). The 'Authentication Bypass' tag conflicts with the actual root cause - CWE-862 and the description describe an authorization (not authentication) failure - so that label should be treated with caution. Overall this is a legitimately patchable issue for DNS servers but a high-CVSS-contextless panic is unwarranted; prioritize behind any network-reachable or KEV-listed DNS flaws.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker who already has low-privileged authenticated access to a Windows Server running the DNS Server role abuses a missing authorization check to tamper with DNS data or configuration they should not be permitted to modify. Because the vector is local (AV:L) and requires existing privileges (PR:L), this is a privilege/authorization-boundary escalation on an already-accessed host rather than a remote attack. No public exploit code is referenced in the available data.

This Month Plan within 30 days. Why: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9).
Patch available 0.3% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Oct 13, 2026

Missing authorization checks in the Windows Server DNS Server role allow a locally authenticated, low-privileged user to tamper with DNS configuration or zone data on affected hosts, yielding a high-integrity impact with no confidentiality or availability effect. Exploitation is constrained: the attacker must already hold local access to a server running the DNS Server role (Windows Server 2012 through 2025, including Server Core installations), and the issue cannot be triggered remotely or by an unauthenticated user. Microsoft has released vendor patches, and no public exploit code or confirmed active exploitation was identified at time of analysis; at CVSS 5.5 this is a moderate-severity integrity flaw whose practical risk is dominated by the prior-access requirement.

RemediationAI

Apply the Microsoft vendor update that brings each Windows Server build to or above its fixed revision: 6.2.9200.26434 for Windows Server 2012, 6.3.9600.23470 for Windows Server 2012 R2, 10.0.14393.9612 for Windows Server 2016, 10.0.17763.9376 for Windows Server 2019, 10.0.20348.5761 for Windows Server 2022, and 10.0.26100.33650 for Windows Server 2025, including their Server Core installations - see https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-103560 for the Microsoft Security Response Center guidance and KB mapping. Because the precondition is local low-privileged access, the primary compensating control is reducing who can reach a DNS server's console, RDP, or local shell: restrict interactive logon and Remote Desktop to a small administrative group, remove non-essential local accounts and service accounts with logon rights, and apply just-in-time access for maintenance - the trade-off is increased friction for helpdesk and scripting workflows on DNS hosts. Enable DNS Server audit logging and, where feasible, change auditing on zone files so unauthorized DNS record or configuration edits are detected and can be reverted, accepting the added log volume and storage cost. DNSSEC signing on authoritative zones does not prevent this local integrity failure but limits the value of a tampered answer to downstream resolvers; deployment carries key-management overhead. Zone transfers and dynamic updates can be restricted to specific servers or secured with credentials at the cost of administration effort, and DNS zone backups should be taken before and after patching so that any tampering can be rolled back. No vendor-released fix is missing here - patching is the definitive remediation, and no public exploit code was identified at time of analysis.

Affected VersionsENISA

Windows Server 2012 R2 (Server Core installation) 6.3.9600.0 <6.3.9600.23470
Windows Server 2016 10.0.14393.0 <10.0.14393.9612
Windows Server 2012 (Server Core installation) 6.2.9200.0 <6.2.9200.26434
Windows Server 2016 (Server Core installation) 10.0.14393.0 <10.0.14393.9612
Windows Server 2019 (Server Core installation) 10.0.17763.0 <10.0.17763.9376
Windows Server 2022 10.0.20348.0 <10.0.20348.5761
Windows Server 2019 10.0.17763.0 <10.0.17763.9376
Windows Server 2025 10.0.26100.0 <10.0.26100.33650
Windows Server 2012 R2 6.3.9600.0 <6.3.9600.23470
Windows Server 2012 6.2.9200.0 <6.2.9200.26434
Windows Server 2025 (Server Core installation) 10.0.26100.0 <10.0.26100.33650

Affected Packages

euvd windows_server_2012 fix: 6.2.9200.26434
euvd windows_server_2012_r2 fix: 6.3.9600.23470
euvd windows_server_2012_r2_server_core_installation fix: 6.3.9600.23470
euvd windows_server_2012_server_core_installation fix: 6.2.9200.26434
euvd windows_server_2016 fix: 10.0.14393.9612
euvd windows_server_2016_server_core_installation fix: 10.0.14393.9612
euvd windows_server_2019 fix: 10.0.17763.9376
euvd windows_server_2019_server_core_installation fix: 10.0.17763.9376
euvd windows_server_2022 fix: 10.0.20348.5761
euvd windows_server_2025 fix: 10.0.26100.33650
euvd windows_server_2025_server_core_installation fix: 10.0.26100.33650

Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)

Affects your stack

Affects 11 packages in euvd

Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.

Technical ContextAI · show details

The flaw is classified as CWE-862 (Missing Authorization) and lives in the Windows Server DNS Server role, the service that hosts and resolves authoritative zones for a Windows environment. Despite the 'Authentication Bypass' tag in the source data, the assessed vector CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N describes an attacker who is already authenticated with only low privileges on the local host; the defect is that an operation which should require elevated or administrative rights is instead permitted to an under-privileged principal, rather than that credentials are bypassed from an unauthenticated position. Because the weakness is in the authorization boundary of a DNS management or update path and the scope is unchanged (S:U), the achievable effect is tampering with DNS records or service state - for example redirecting or corrupting resolution answers - with no direct read of protected data (C:N) and no crash or denial of service (A:N). Server Core installations are included in the affected population, meaning headless DNS hosts are equally exposed to the local tampering path. Fixed builds are the first versions at or above the thresholds listed in the EUVD affected-range data.

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  • Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources

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Severity by source

Vendor (microsoft) PRIMARY 5.5 MEDIUM
AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
vuln.today AI 5.5 MEDIUM

Local authorization-boundary flaw (AV:L) exploitable by an existing low-privileged user (PR:L) with no UI; tampering yields integrity-only impact (I:H, C:N/A:N).

3.1 AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N
4.0 AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

Primary rating from Vendor (microsoft).

CVSS VectorVendor: microsoft

Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
High
Availability
None

Lifecycle Timeline

2
Patch available
Oct 13, 2026 - 20:20 EUVD
CVE Published
Oct 13, 2026 - 19:17 cve.org
MEDIUM 5.5

DescriptionCVE.org

Improper authorization in DNS Server allows an authorized attacker to perform tampering locally.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.3%
Top 80% exploitable
Prevalence
High
DNS Server role on widely-deployed Windows Server across enterprise environments
Vendor Status
Publicly Disclosed:No
Exploited:No
Latest Software Release:Exploitation Less Likely
Data Quality
5 sources
Confidence: Medium

How this decision was reached

The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.

SignalValue
Severity MEDIUM
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.3%
Patch available Yes
Active threat No
Deciding rule
MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9)
What every action level means
Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.
Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.
Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision· derived
Defer
Exploitation
None
System Exposure· derived
Small
Automatable
No
Human Impact· derived
Medium
Technical Impact
Partial

Priority Score

28
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +28
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

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