Severity by source
AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
DHCP is link-local so AV:A; an unauthenticated crafted packet needs no privileges or interaction (PR:N/UI:N/AC:L); heap RCE in a SYSTEM service gives full C:H/I:H/A:H.
Primary rating from Vendor (microsoft).
CVSS VectorVendor: microsoft
Lifecycle Timeline
2DescriptionCVE.org
Heap-based buffer overflow in Windows DHCP Server allows an unauthorized attacker to execute code over an adjacent network.
AnalysisAI
Remote code execution in the Microsoft Windows DHCP Server role allows an unauthenticated, adjacent-network attacker to run arbitrary code by triggering a heap-based buffer overflow (CWE-122) in DHCP message parsing. Affected systems span Windows Server 2012 through Windows Server 2025 (including Server Core installations) plus the DHCP service on Windows 10 versions 1607 and 1809, with full confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact. Microsoft has released a patch; there is no public exploit identified at time of analysis and the issue is not listed in CISA KEV.
Technical ContextAI
The flaw lives in Microsoft's DHCP Server service, which hands out IP configuration to clients over UDP (ports 67/68) and typically runs with SYSTEM-level privileges on Windows Server infrastructure. CWE-122 (heap-based buffer overflow) indicates the service allocates a heap buffer and writes attacker-controlled DHCP message data past its bounds, corrupting adjacent heap structures and enabling control-flow hijack. Because DHCP is a broadcast/link-local protocol, malicious packets must reach the server on the same network segment, consistent with the CVSS Adjacent (AV:A) vector. The CPE set confirms the affected code ships across Windows Server 2012, 2012 R2, 2016, 2019 (Server Core included) and the tag data extends coverage to Server 2022 and 2025 plus the client-era builds Windows 10 1607/1809.
RemediationAI
Patch available per vendor advisory: apply the Microsoft security update for CVE-2026-50370 to every affected Windows Server and Windows 10 host running the DHCP Server role, using the per-product fixed builds listed at https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-50370 (exact fix versions are not reproduced in the input data, so confirm the KB and build for your specific OS from that page before deploying). Prioritize domain-joined DHCP servers because the service executes as SYSTEM. Where immediate patching is not possible, reduce exposure by restricting Layer-2 access to DHCP servers through network segmentation and switch-level DHCP snooping so only trusted ports can send DHCP traffic to the server, and consider relocating the DHCP role off multi-tenant or guest segments - the trade-off is that overly aggressive DHCP snooping or ACLs can break legitimate address assignment if relay and helper-address configurations are not accounted for. Disabling the DHCP Server service entirely is viable only where an alternative address-assignment path exists, since it will otherwise interrupt client networking.
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Same weakness CWE-122 – Heap-based Buffer Overflow
View allSame technique Heap Overflow
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External POC / Exploit Code
Leaving vuln.today
EUVD-2026-43878
GHSA-64v7-94jq-w86r