Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessObtain low-privilege network access
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DeliverySend crafted DNS request to server
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ExploitTrigger out-of-bounds read in parser
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ExecutionReceive leaked adjacent memory
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ImpactDisclose sensitive information
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 target host to be running the Windows DNS Server role and requires the attacker to already hold low-level authorization (PR:L) with a network path to the DNS service; no user interaction is needed (UI:N) and attack complexity is low (AC:L). The limiting factor is the authentication/authorization prerequisite - this is not an unauthenticated remote flaw - so realistic risk is highest where low-privilege accounts or internal network footholds can reach the DNS Server. Impact is confined to information disclosure (C:H, I:N, A:N); it does not enable code execution, data modification, or denial of service. |
| Impact | This is a moderate-severity information-disclosure flaw (CVSS 6.5) in the Windows DNS Server role. The CVSS vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N) indicates a network-reachable, low-complexity attack requiring low-level privileges (authenticated attacker), with high confidentiality impact (C:H) but no integrity or availability impact (I:N/A:N) - consistent with an out-of-bounds read (CWE-125) that leaks memory contents rather than enabling code execution. No EPSS score was provided in the input, and the vulnerability is NOT listed in CISA KEV; no public exploit code is referenced. The description states 'authorized attacker,' which aligns with the CVSS PR:L metric, so these signals are consistent rather than conflicting. Overall this is a real but mid-tier priority: the attack vector is network-based and complexity is low, but the requirement for prior authorization and the confidentiality-only impact (memory disclosure, not RCE) reduce real-world urgency. It should be patched in the normal cycle, prioritized where the DNS Server role is internet-exposed or where low-privilege access is broadly available, but it is not a drop-everything emergency absent evidence of active exploitation. Note: EPSS data is missing, so exploitation-probability cannot be quantified from the input. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker who already holds low-level authorized access to a network path reaching the Windows DNS Server sends crafted DNS queries or data that trigger an out-of-bounds read in the server's parsing logic. The server returns or exposes adjacent memory contents, potentially leaking sensitive data such as cached records, configuration, or memory fragments useful for further attacks. No public proof-of-concept is identified in the provided data, and low attack complexity (AC:L) means a reliable trigger is plausible once the required access exists. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Oct 13, 2026
An out-of-bounds read in the Windows DNS Server role lets an attacker who already holds low-level authorization on the network read memory beyond intended buffer boundaries and disclose that information over the network. Only hosts running the DNS Server role are affected, spanning Windows Server 2012 through 2025 (including Server Core installations) plus Windows 10 and Windows 11 clients that host the role; exploitation requires an authenticated/authorized position (CVSS PR:L) with network reachability to the DNS service, so it is not an unauthenticated remote flaw. Impact is limited to confidentiality (C:H) with no integrity or availability effect, and no public exploit code has been identified at time of analysis - the practical risk concentrates in environments where low-privilege accounts or internal footholds can reach a DNS server.
RemediationAI
Vendor-released patches are available per Microsoft's update guide (https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-97820); upgrade to at least the fixed builds enumerated for each branch - Windows Server 2012 6.2.9200.26434, Server 2012 R2 6.3.9600.23470, Server 2016 10.0.14393.9612, Server 2019 10.0.17763.9376, Server 2022 10.0.20348.5761, Server 2025 10.0.26100.33650, Windows 10 1607/1809/21H2/22H2 to 10.0.14393.9612, 10.0.17763.9376 and 10.0.19044.7807 respectively, and Windows 11 23H2 10.0.22631.7652, 24H2 10.0.26100.9711, 25H2 10.0.26200.9711, 26H1 10.0.28000.3231 and 26H2 10.0.26300.9711. Because the prerequisite is an authorized attacker with network access to the DNS service, compensating controls should focus on shrinking that reach: restrict DNS management permissions and remove or tightly scope low-privilege accounts that do not need to interact with the DNS Server role (trade-off: may break delegated administration workflows), and firewall UDP/TCP 53 so only known resolver clients and secondary-zone partners can reach the service, acknowledging that this is impractical for authoritative public-facing DNS servers. Restrict remote management of the DNS role (RPC/WMI/Microsoft Management Console channels) to dedicated administrative networks, and monitor DNS server logs for anomalous query patterns or unexpected service restarts that could accompany probing of this parser. Note that Microsoft identifies no unauthenticated path, so perimeter filtering at the DNS port alone is not sufficient for servers that accept DNS traffic from untrusted clients.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 20 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 rooted in CWE-125 (Out-of-bounds Read) within the DNS Server component of Windows. DNS service code parses wire-format DNS messages - queries, resource records and their variable-length fields - and an out-of-bounds read means a length or offset derived from attacker-supplied input is not validated against the actual buffer size, so the parser reads past the end of the allocated structure. Because the server then returns or otherwise surfaces that data, memory contents adjacent to the buffer can be leaked over the network rather than simply crashing the service. The CVSS vector CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N confirms a network-reachable, low-complexity, no-user-interaction path that requires prior authorization (PR:L) and yields high confidentiality impact only - the read does not corrupt memory in a way that is assessed as code execution, data modification, or denial of service. Affected builds are enumerated by Microsoft and ENISA EUVD (EUVD-2026-100421) across the Windows Server 2012, 2012 R2, 2016, 2019, 2022 and 2025 families, their Server Core installations, and Windows 10 (1607, 1809, 21H2, 22H2) and Windows 11 (23H2, 24H2, 25H2, 26H1, 26H2) releases that carry the DNS Server role.
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Severity by source
AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Network-reachable DNS service (AV:N) with low complexity (AC:L); 'authorized attacker' maps to PR:L; out-of-bounds read leaks memory giving C:H with no I/A impact.
Primary rating from Vendor (microsoft).
CVSS VectorVendor: microsoft
Lifecycle Timeline
2DescriptionCVE.org
Out-of-bounds read in DNS Server allows an authorized attacker to disclose information over a network.
Threat Intelligence Overview
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.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
A buffer overflow occurs when a program writes more data to a memory buffer than it was allocated to hold, causing the excess data to spill into adjacent memory regions.
Information disclosure occurs when an application unintentionally exposes sensitive data that aids attackers in reconnaissance or directly compromises security.
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EUVD-2026-100421
GHSA-qpvf-28m6-xwxw
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
Exploit-DB