Severity by source
AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Unauthenticated remote attacker sends crafted DHCP packets with no user interaction (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N); heap RCE in the service yields full C/I/A impact.
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 a network.
AnalysisAI
Remote code execution in the Microsoft Windows DHCP Server role allows an unauthenticated network attacker to run arbitrary code by triggering a heap-based buffer overflow (CWE-122) in the service's packet handling. The flaw carries a critical CVSS 9.8 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N) and affects Windows Server 2012 through 2025 as well as the underlying Windows 10 1607/1809 code base. There is no public exploit identified at time of analysis and the CVE is not listed in CISA KEV, but the unauthenticated network RCE profile makes it a high-priority patch.
Technical ContextAI
The affected component is the DHCP Server service, the Windows role that leases IP addresses and network configuration to clients over UDP (typically ports 67/68) and DHCPv6. CWE-122 (heap-based buffer overflow) indicates the service copies attacker-controlled data - most plausibly fields within a crafted DHCP request/option payload - into a heap allocation without adequate bounds checking, corrupting adjacent heap memory. The CPE data scopes this to Microsoft server SKUs (Windows Server 2012, 2012 R2, 2016, 2019, including Server Core installations) and the Windows 10 1607/1809 servicing branches, with tags extending coverage to Windows Server 2022 and 2025; the DHCP Server role is an optional but commonly enabled infrastructure role, so only hosts actually running that role are exposed.
RemediationAI
Patch available per vendor advisory: apply the Microsoft security update for CVE-2026-50518 from https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-50518 to every affected Windows Server (2012 through 2025, including Server Core) that hosts the DHCP Server role; consult the MSRC Update Guide for the exact KB and build number matching each SKU, as no single fixed version applies across all editions. Where immediate patching is not possible, compensating controls include restricting DHCP (UDP 67/68 and DHCPv6 546/547) so the server only accepts traffic from trusted VLANs/subnets and hardening DHCP relay configuration to limit which relayed requests reach the server - with the trade-off that overly aggressive filtering can break legitimate client address assignment. On hosts that do not need it, removing or disabling the DHCP Server role eliminates the exposure entirely but stops that server from leasing addresses, so migrate clients to a patched DHCP server first.
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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-2026-44117
GHSA-ppgf-28qj-x35r