Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessObtain low-privilege SQL login
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DeliveryConnect to SQL Server over network
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ExploitSend crafted overflowing input
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ExecutionCorrupt heap memory in parser
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ImpactExecute arbitrary code as service account
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
ASVS 5.0
V15 - Secure Coding and Architecture Heap buffer bounds checking
MITRE ATT&CK
1 technique across 1 tactic: Execution 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 attacker to already hold a valid SQL Server login with at least low privileges (PR:L) and network reachability to the SQL Server instance's listening port; no user interaction is needed. The limiting factors are therefore authentication (any valid database credential, not necessarily sysadmin) and network exposure of the SQL Server endpoint - instances firewalled to trusted app tiers and using strong, non-shared credentials substantially reduce reachable attack surface. Affected builds are specific: SQL Server 2017 (GDR <14.0.2140.2, CU31 <14.0.3560.2), 2019 (GDR <15.0.2200.2, CU32 <15.0.4500.2), 2022 (GDR <16.0.1210.3, CU27 <16.0.4305.5), and 2025 (GDR <17.0.1145.4, CU9 <17.0.5015.4); instances already patched to these build numbers or above are not exposed. |
| Impact | This is a credible, actionable priority rather than an inflated high-CVSS issue, though not an emergency. The CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N) indicates a network-reachable, low-complexity flaw requiring only low privileges and no user interaction, with full high impact to confidentiality, integrity, and availability (C:H/I:H/A:H, scope unchanged) - consistent with an authenticated user achieving code execution within the SQL Server process context. The description's phrase 'authorized attacker' aligns cleanly with PR:L, so the signals are internally consistent and there is no attack-vector/privilege conflict to flag. However, key exploitation-likelihood signals are MISSING from the input: no EPSS probability was provided, the flaw is NOT listed in CISA KEV, and no public POC is referenced - so there is no evidence of active exploitation or weaponization at this time. The realistic risk driver is that SQL Server instances frequently grant low-privilege application or service logins, meaning the PR:L barrier is low in many environments; an attacker who already holds any valid database login (e.g., via a compromised app credential) could escalate to code execution on the database host. Because exploitation-probability data is absent, prioritize based on exposure and privilege hygiene rather than on confirmed in-the-wild activity. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker possessing a low-privileged but valid SQL Server login (for example, a reused or leaked application service credential) connects over the network and submits crafted input that triggers the heap-based buffer overflow (CWE-122) in the server's parsing logic. Successful corruption of heap memory lets the attacker execute arbitrary code in the context of the SQL Server service, potentially compromising the database and underlying host. No user interaction is required, and no public exploit code is currently identified. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Oct 13, 2026
Heap-based buffer overflow in Microsoft SQL Server lets an authenticated attacker who holds any valid, low-privileged database login - and can reach the instance's listening port over the network - execute code in the context of the SQL Server service process, with high confidentiality, integrity and availability impact (CVSS 8.8, PR:L, no user interaction). The vendor has released patched builds for SQL Server 2017, 2019, 2022 and 2025, and no public exploit code or confirmed active exploitation was identified at time of analysis, so this is a credible priority rather than an emergency. Because exploitation needs only ordinary credentials rather than sysadmin rights, the practical exposure is concentrated on instances reachable from untrusted networks and on estates where database logins are shared or weakly managed.
RemediationAI
Vendor-released patches are available; apply the update that brings each instance to or above its fixed build: SQL Server 2017 to 14.0.2140.2 (GDR) or 14.0.3560.2 (CU31), SQL Server 2019 to 15.0.2200.2 (GDR) or 15.0.4500.2 (CU32), SQL Server 2022 to 16.0.1210.3 (GDR) or 16.0.4305.5 (CU27), and SQL Server 2025 to 17.0.1145.4 (GDR) or 17.0.5015.4 (CU9), following the guidance at https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-94512; verify the resulting @@VERSION/build number afterwards, since cumulative updates and GDR branches diverge. Where patching must be staged, compensating controls reduce - but do not remove - exposure: firewall the SQL Server listening port (default TCP 1433, plus any dynamic ports and SQL Browser UDP 1434) so only trusted application tiers can reach it, accepting that this breaks legitimate remote clients and any tooling relying on direct database connectivity; audit and rotate database logins, eliminating shared, hard-coded or dormant accounts, understanding that since exploitation requires only PR:L the relevant question is who holds any credential, not who is sysadmin, and that tightening this may disrupt legacy integrations; and prefer Windows or Azure AD authentication over SQL logins where feasible. Restricting the SQL Server service account's OS privileges limits post-exploitation reach but does not prevent the in-process code execution itself, and monitoring SQL Server error logs for repeated access-violation crashes or unexpected service restarts can provide early warning of exploitation attempts.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 8 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 root cause is a heap-based buffer overflow (CWE-122): the SQL Server engine writes beyond the bounds of a heap-allocated buffer while processing network input, corrupting adjacent heap metadata and objects. SQL Server communicates with clients over the TDS protocol on TCP 1433 (or administrator-configured/dynamic ports registered with the SQL Browser service on UDP 1434), so the vulnerable parsing path is reachable by any client able to open a TDS session, which is why the assessed vector is AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N. The PR:L component is significant: the attacker must already authenticate with a valid SQL Server login, but that credential need not be privileged - an ordinary application or reporting account is sufficient, meaning credential compromise or a tenant-level login in a shared database environment is enough to reach the bug. Successful corruption yields code execution inside the sqlservr.exe service context, which grants access to every database hosted on that instance and provides a foothold for lateral movement and privilege escalation, though it does not by itself equal operating-system administrator rights. Affected builds are narrowly defined across the 2017 (GDR <14.0.2140.2, CU31 <14.0.3560.2), 2019 (GDR <15.0.2200.2, CU32 <15.0.4500.2), 2022 (GDR <16.0.1210.3, CU27 <16.0.4305.5) and 2025 (GDR <17.0.1145.4, CU9 <17.0.5015.4) servicing lines, so build-number inventory is the most reliable way to determine exposure.
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Severity by source
AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
The 'authorized attacker' over a network maps to AV:N and PR:L with no user interaction; heap-overflow code execution in the service context yields full C:H/I:H/A:H, scope unchanged.
Primary rating from Vendor (microsoft).
CVSS VectorVendor: microsoft
Lifecycle Timeline
2DescriptionCVE.org
Heap-based buffer overflow in SQL Server allows an authorized attacker to execute code over a network.
Executive ViewAI
Microsoft SQL Server is affected by a high-severity vulnerability (CVE-2026-94512) that permits an authenticated attacker with low-privileged database credentials to execute arbitrary code as the SQL Server service. This could lead to unauthorized data access, tampering, or service disruption, with heightened risk for database instances exposed to untrusted networks or using shared or weak credentials. Leadership should prioritize remediation because the low barrier to exploitation-requiring only ordinary login credentials-increases the likelihood of insider or external attacks targeting these critical systems.
Apply vendor patch.
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.
A heap overflow occurs when a program writes data beyond the bounds of a buffer allocated in the heap memory region.
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EUVD-2026-100619
GHSA-qc5v-8339-5w6j
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
Exploit-DB