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Skype for Business CVE-2026-85873

| EUVDEUVD-2026-100142 MEDIUM
Authorization Bypass Through User-Controlled Key (CWE-639)
2026-10-13 secure@microsoft.com GHSA-6286-h9rv-4j7m
6.5
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
    Authenticate with low-privileged account
  2. Delivery
    Send crafted network request with manipulated object identifier
  3. Exploit
    Bypass improper authorization check
  4. Execution
    Access higher-privileged data or capabilities
  5. Impact
    Elevate effective privileges

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A01:2025 - Broken Access Control
ASVS 5.0
V8 - Authorization Object-level authorization, IDOR prevention
Exploitation Conditions

Exploitation requires the attacker to already be an authenticated/authorized user on an affected Skype for Business Server (Subscription Edition pre-7.0.2046.889, 2015 CU13 pre-6.0.9319.886, 2019 CU8 pre-7.0.2046.583) or Microsoft Lync deployment (PR:L) - it is NOT a pre-auth remote bug. No user interaction, no special non-default configuration, and no local access are indicated; the flaw is reachable over the network against the running server. The principal limiting factor is the authentication prerequisite: an attacker must possess valid low-privilege credentials or an account, which constrains this to insiders or attackers who have already gained a foothold, rather than anonymous internet-wide exploitation.

Impact

This is a moderate-severity (CVSS 6.5) improper-authorization flaw (CWE-639, IDOR-class) in Skype for Business Server and the legacy Microsoft Lync product. The CVSS vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N) describes a network-reachable, low-complexity attack requiring an already-authenticated (PR:L) actor and no user interaction, yielding high confidentiality impact but no integrity or availability impact. Multiple signals converge to downgrade real-world urgency: CISA SSVC reports Exploitation=none and Automatable=no, there is no CISA KEV listing, and no public exploit code is referenced - so there is no public exploit identified at time of analysis. SSVC Technical Impact is rated 'total,' which sits in tension with the CVSS impact set (C:H but I:N/A:N); this likely reflects SSVC scoring the component's full compromise potential rather than this specific metric's confidentiality-only reading. There is also a conceptual mismatch worth flagging: the title says 'elevate privileges' (EoP), yet the CVSS models confidentiality-only impact - verify with Microsoft whether elevated privileges also enable integrity-affecting actions. Net: a real but not emergency priority - patch in normal cycle; the PR:L prerequisite (attacker must already hold valid credentials/an account on the system) and absence of exploitation evidence keep this below drop-everything status.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker who already holds a low-privileged authenticated account on a Skype for Business / Lync deployment sends crafted network requests that reference objects or identifiers belonging to other users or higher-privileged contexts. Because authorization is improperly enforced (CWE-639), the server returns data the attacker should not be able to access, elevating their effective privileges. No user interaction is required, but no public proof-of-concept or active exploitation has been identified.

This Month Plan within 30 days. Why: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9).
Patch available 0.8% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Oct 14, 2026

Improper authorization (CWE-639, an IDOR-class flaw) in Skype for Business Server and the legacy Microsoft Lync product lets an authenticated, low-privilege user reach data or functionality that should be reserved for other users or higher-privileged roles, resulting in unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information over the network (CVSS 6.5, C:H/I:N/A:N). The affected deployments are Skype for Business Server Subscription Edition before 7.0.2046.889, Skype for Business Server 2019 CU8 before 7.0.2046.583, and Skype for Business Server 2015 CU13 before 6.0.9319.886; Microsoft has published fixes for all three. The flaw is not remotely exploitable by anonymous attackers, no public exploit code has been identified at time of analysis, and CISA's SSVC assessment records exploitation as 'none' and automatable as 'no', so risk is concentrated in environments where low-privileged accounts exist and the server is broadly reachable.

RemediationAI

Vendor-released patch: Microsoft has fixed this issue in Skype for Business Server Subscription Edition 7.0.2046.889 and later, Skype for Business Server 2019 CU8 7.0.2046.583 and later, and Skype for Business Server 2015 CU13 6.0.9319.886 and later - apply the corresponding cumulative update from the Microsoft Security Response Center advisory at https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-85873 and verify the reported build number after installation. Environments still running Lync Server or end-of-support Skype for Business builds should treat this as a migration trigger, since no back-ported fix should be assumed for unsupported branches. Because exploitation requires valid low-privilege credentials, the most effective compensating controls are containment of the credential surface and the attack surface: enforce MFA and conditional access for all on-premises account sign-ins, sweep for stale, shared, or unnecessary low-privilege service and conferencing accounts (the trade-off being added onboarding friction and potential disruption of automated integrations), and restrict reachability of the server's HTTPS web-services and SIP/TLS endpoints to trusted networks or VPN rather than the public internet (which breaks external or federated client access unless a reverse proxy or edge role is used instead). Until patching completes, increase logging and review of cross-user object access through the platform's web services, and segment the deployment so a compromised standard user cannot reach administrative or privileged mailboxes; note that these controls reduce exposure but do not remove the underlying authorization bypass, so patching remains the only complete fix.

Affected VersionsENISA

Skype for Business Server Subscription Edition RTM 1.0.0 <7.0.2046.889
Skype for Business Server Subscription Edition CU1 2046.0 <7.0.2046.889
Skype for Business Server 2015 CU13 9319.0 <6.0.9319.886
Skype for Business Server 2019 CU8 2046.0 <7.0.2046.583

Affected Packages

euvd skype_for_business_server_2015_cu13 fix: 6.0.9319.886
euvd skype_for_business_server_2019_cu8 fix: 7.0.2046.583
euvd skype_for_business_server_subscription_edition_cu1 fix: 7.0.2046.889
euvd skype_for_business_server_subscription_edition_rtm fix: 7.0.2046.889

Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)

Affects your stack

Affects 4 packages in euvd

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

Technical ContextAI · show details

Skype for Business Server (the successor to Microsoft Lync Server) is an on-premises unified communications platform whose front-end role exposes SIP/TLS signaling plus an HTTPS web-services stack (autodiscovery, Web Ticket authentication, conferencing and address-book services) fronting a backend SQL Server configuration and user store. The defect is classified as CWE-639, Authorization Bypass Through User-Controlled Key - the classic insecure direct object reference pattern in which a request carries an identifier (meeting, user, or resource key) supplied by the caller and the server resolves that key without verifying that the authenticated principal is entitled to the referenced object. Consequently a valid low-privilege account can pivot to another user's or a higher-privileged user's data, giving the confidentiality-only impact reflected in the assessed vector CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N: the attack is network-reachable (AV:N) with low complexity (AC:L) and no user interaction (UI:N), scope is unchanged (S:U), and only confidentiality is impacted (C:H, I:N, A:N). The single meaningful barrier is the PR:L authentication prerequisite, which places this in the post-compromise or insider threat class rather than the pre-auth internet-wide class. The issue is tracked by ENISA as EUVD-2026-100142 and is a server-side authorization-enforcement defect, not a memory-safety, cryptographic, or configuration-hardening bug.

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Severity by source

Vendor (microsoft) PRIMARY 6.5 MEDIUM
AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
vuln.today AI 6.5 MEDIUM

Network-reachable (AV:N) with low complexity, but requires an existing authorized account (PR:L); improper authorization exposes other users' data (C:H) with no proven integrity/availability impact.

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

Primary rating from Vendor (microsoft).

CVSS VectorVendor: microsoft

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

Lifecycle Timeline

2
Patch available
Oct 13, 2026 - 20:20 EUVD
CVE Published
Oct 13, 2026 - 19:21 cve.org
MEDIUM 6.5

DescriptionCVE.org

Improper authorization in Skype for Business and Microsoft Lync allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges over a network.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.8%
Top 44% exploitable
Prevalence
Medium
enterprise on-prem unified-comms server, declining as orgs migrate to Teams
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 0.8%
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
Scheduled
Exploitation
None
System Exposure· derived
Open
Automatable
No
Human Impact· derived
Medium
Technical Impact
Total

Priority Score

33
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: +1
CVSS: +32
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

Authentication bypass attacks exploit flaws in the verification mechanisms that control access to systems and applications.

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