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Windows DNS Server EUVDEUVD-2026-100158

| CVE-2026-88129 MEDIUM
Out-of-bounds Read (CWE-125)
2026-10-13 secure@microsoft.com GHSA-5gcx-hj43-wrg3
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
    Gain low-privilege network access
  2. Exploit
    Send crafted DNS message to server
  3. Execution
    Trigger out-of-bounds read in DNS Server
  4. Impact
    Crash service and deny name resolution

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
ASVS 5.0
V15 - Secure Coding and Architecture Bounds checking, read limits
MITRE ATT&CK

1 technique across 1 tactic: Collection

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 Windows DNS Server role to be installed and reachable over the network, plus a low level of pre-existing authorization/privilege (PR:L) - it is NOT unauthenticated. No user interaction is needed (UI:N) and attack complexity is low (AC:L). The impact is limited to availability (service crash / loss of DNS resolution); there is no confidentiality or integrity impact (C:N/I:N). Affected deployments are unpatched Windows Server 2012, 2012 R2, 2016, 2019, 2022, and 2025 (including Server Core installations) below the fixed build numbers listed in the EUVD data; patched builds are available from Microsoft and remediate the condition.

Impact

This is a moderate, not top-tier, priority. The CVSS 3.1 base vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H, score 6.5) describes a network-reachable, low-complexity attack that requires low-level privileges (PR:L) and causes a pure availability impact (C:N/I:N/A:H) - consistent with an out-of-bounds read (CWE-125) crashing the Windows DNS Server service. SSVC reinforces a measured posture: Exploitation=none, Automatable=no, Technical Impact=partial, which argues against mass or wormable abuse. No EPSS score was provided, and the CVE is NOT in CISA KEV; there is no public exploit identified, so active exploitation is not indicated. The signals are mutually consistent (authenticated DoS, hard to automate, no observed exploitation) rather than conflicting. Note a tension between the CVSS metrics and the input Tags: the vector shows C:N (no confidentiality loss) yet the tags claim 'Information Disclosure' - the metrics indicate this is a denial-of-service bug, not an info-leak, and the tag appears mislabeled.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An attacker who already holds low-privilege network access to an environment sends a specially crafted DNS query or response to an affected Windows DNS Server, triggering an out-of-bounds read that crashes the service and disrupts name resolution for the domain. No public exploit code has been identified, and exploitation requires some level of authorization (PR:L), limiting opportunistic use.

This Month Plan within 30 days. Why: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9).
Patch available 1.1% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Oct 14, 2026

An out-of-bounds read in the Microsoft Windows DNS Server role lets a remote attacker who already holds a low level of authorization (PR:L, per the assessed CVSS vector) crash or destabilize the DNS service, denying name resolution to clients on the network. The flaw affects unpatched Windows Server 2012, 2012 R2, 2016, 2019, 2022, and 2025 (including Server Core installations), and exploitation requires the DNS Server role to be installed and reachable. Impact is availability-only (C:N/I:N/A:H) with no confidentiality or integrity effect, no public exploit identified at time of analysis, no CISA KEV listing, and CISA's SSVC assessment rates exploitation as 'none' and automatable as 'no' - a moderate, not top-tier, priority. Microsoft has released fixed builds.

RemediationAI

Vendor-released patch: apply the Microsoft security update for CVE-2026-88129, which raises each branch to the fixed builds - Windows Server 2022 to 10.0.20348.5761, Windows Server 2025 to 10.0.26100.33650, Windows Server 2016 to 10.0.14393.9612, Windows Server 2019 to 10.0.17763.9376, Windows Server 2012 to 6.2.9200.26434, and Windows Server 2012 R2 to 6.3.9600.23470 - per the MSRC update guide at https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-88129. Note that Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2 are out of mainstream support, so verify Extended Security Update eligibility before depending on that build; if the server is a domain controller, patch during a controlled maintenance window with DNS replication health checks afterward. Where patching must be deferred (legacy 2012/2012 R2 hosts, change-freeze periods for domain controllers), compensating controls should target the PR:L prerequisite and network reachability of port 53: restrict DNS port 53 (UDP and TCP) to known client and secondary-server/forwarder subnets with host or network firewall rules, and remove unnecessary DNS management permissions so low-privileged accounts cannot reach the trigger as easily - the trade-off is that tightly scoping DNS traffic can break roaming clients, conditional forwarders, and zone transfers, so validate the rule set against your zone replication topology first. Disabling the DNS Server role entirely removes exposure but is not viable on domain controllers. Because SSVC exploitation is 'none', automatable is 'no', and no public exploit is identified, these measures are prudent hardening rather than emergency mitigations.

Affected VersionsENISA

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

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 vulnerability is classified as CWE-125 (Out-of-bounds Read) in the Windows DNS Server service, the component that resolves and forwards DNS queries for a Windows domain. DNS is a UDP/TCP-based protocol on port 53 whose message parser handles attacker-supplied packet fields (labels, resource records, compression pointers), so a parsing logic error that reads past the end of an allocated buffer is reachable from network input. Notably, the supplied reference tags also mention 'Buffer Overflow' and 'Information Disclosure', but the authoritative assessed CVSS vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H) records no confidentiality or integrity impact, so the practical, demonstrated effect here is a service-level availability failure (crash / loss of DNS resolution) rather than memory disclosure. Because PR:L is present in the vector, this is not an unauthenticated primitive: the attacker needs some pre-existing authorization on the target or a position that satisfies that privilege requirement, and AC:L/UI:N mean it can be triggered without special timing or user involvement once those prerequisites are met. The affected component is present whenever the DNS Server role is installed, which is common on Active Directory domain controllers and dedicated DNS hosts.

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  • Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources

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Severity by source

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

Network-reachable DNS service (AV:N) with low complexity (AC:L); 'authorized attacker' and PR:L indicate low privilege required; out-of-bounds read yields pure availability loss (C:N/I:N/A:H).

3.1 AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
4.0 AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/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
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High

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

Out-of-bounds read in DNS Server allows an authorized attacker to deny service over a network.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
1.1%
Top 35% exploitable
Prevalence
High
Windows Server DNS role is widely deployed across enterprise and AD 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 1.1%
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
Partial

Priority Score

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

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