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Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain

  1. Access
    Obtain high-privilege credentials
  2. Delivery
    Connect to target DNS server over network
  3. Exploit
    Send concurrent malformed DNS requests
  4. Execution
    Win race condition on shared resource
  5. Impact
    Execute arbitrary code as DNS service

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A06:2025 - Insecure Design
ASVS 5.0
V15 - Secure Coding and Architecture Concurrency control, locking
MITRE ATT&CK

1 technique across 1 tactic: Privilege Escalation

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 be an authorized user with high-privilege access to the target Windows system running the DNS role - CVSS PR:H confirms authentication at an elevated level is mandatory. The attack is network-delivered (AV:N), meaning the attacker does not need physical or local access, but must be able to reach the DNS service over the network. High attack complexity (AC:H) means the attacker must successfully time or orchestrate concurrent requests to win the race condition, limiting exploitation reliability. Limiting factors: (1) PR:H - exploitation is impossible without prior compromise or legitimate possession of high-privilege credentials; (2) AC:H - race conditions require precise timing and may require many attempts, increasing detection exposure; (3) the DNS role must be active on the target host. No special non-default configuration is identified as required beyond the DNS Server role being installed and running.

Impact

The CVSS base score of 6.6 accurately reflects the tension between high CIA impact and the significant exploitation barriers (AC:H, PR:H). An attacker must already be authenticated with high privileges on or to the target system, AND must win a race condition - both independently difficult prerequisites. EPSS data is not present in the provided intelligence, so probabilistic exploitation likelihood cannot be quantified from this dataset. KEV status is absent, meaning CISA has not confirmed active in-the-wild exploitation. The 'Information Disclosure' tag conflicts with the description's 'execute code' claim - this discrepancy should be verified against the Microsoft MSRC advisory, as it may indicate the tags reflect a secondary impact or a metadata error. No POC is referenced in the provided data. Net assessment: this is a real but operationally constrained vulnerability; patch urgency is moderate for most environments given the PR:H barrier, though organizations where privileged-but-untrusted operators have DNS server access (e.g., managed service environments or shared infrastructure) should treat remediation as higher priority.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

A threat actor who has already compromised or legitimately holds a high-privilege account (e.g., a DNS administrator or domain admin) sends specially timed concurrent requests to the Windows DNS service, exploiting the race window in shared resource access to redirect execution flow and run arbitrary code under the DNS service's security context. No public proof-of-concept code is referenced in the available intelligence, and the AC:H requirement means reliable exploitation would require repeated attempts or careful environment profiling. Successful exploitation yields full code execution on the DNS host, which in a domain environment typically means a critical infrastructure node.

This Month Plan within 30 days. Why: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9).
Patch available 0.5% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Aug 11, 2026

Remote code execution via race condition in Windows DNS affects authorized, high-privileged attackers across a broad range of Windows Server and Windows client versions. The CWE-362 race condition allows an attacker who already holds elevated credentials to exploit concurrent shared-resource access in the DNS service, achieving full code execution (C:H/I:H/A:H) over the network. No public exploit or CISA KEV listing is identified at time of analysis, and Microsoft has released patches; the PR:H and AC:H constraints substantially limit realistic exploitation.

RemediationAI

The primary remediation is to apply the vendor-released patches via Windows Update or WSUS, targeting the fixed build numbers per affected release: Windows Server 2025 to 10.0.26100.33296 or later; Windows Server 2022 to 10.0.20348.5499 or later; Windows Server 2019 to 10.0.17763.9115 or later; Windows Server 2016 to 10.0.14393.9418 or later; Windows Server 2012 R2 to 6.3.9600.23337 or later; Windows 10 1607/1809 and Windows 11 26H1 to their respective fixed builds. Consult https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-61920 for the complete patch manifest. Where immediate patching is not possible, limit the pool of principals holding high-privilege access to DNS server hosts, as PR:H is the primary gating factor - reducing authorized elevated accounts directly reduces attack surface. Additionally, network-segment DNS servers so that only authorized management hosts can reach administrative interfaces, reducing the pool of network origins from which a race could be attempted. Note that neither workaround eliminates the vulnerability and patching remains mandatory.

Affected VersionsENISA

Windows Server 2025 (Server Core installation) 10.0.26100.0 <10.0.26100.33296
Windows Server 2022 10.0.20348.0 <10.0.20348.5499
Windows Server 2025 10.0.26100.0 <10.0.26100.33296
Windows Server 2016 (Server Core installation) 10.0.14393.0 <10.0.14393.9418
Windows Server 2012 R2 6.3.9600.0 <6.3.9600.23337
Windows Server 2019 10.0.17763.0 <10.0.17763.9115
Windows Server 2016 10.0.14393.0 <10.0.14393.9418
Windows Server 2012 R2 (Server Core installation) 6.3.9600.0 <6.3.9600.23337
Windows 10 Version 1607 10.0.14393.0 <10.0.14393.9418
Windows 11 version 26H1 10.0.28000.0 <10.0.28000.2704
Windows 10 Version 1809 10.0.17763.0 <10.0.17763.9115
Windows Server 2019 (Server Core installation) 10.0.17763.0 <10.0.17763.9115

Affected Packages

euvd windows_10_version_1607 fix: 10.0.14393.9418
euvd windows_10_version_1809 fix: 10.0.17763.9115
euvd windows_11_version_26h1 fix: 10.0.28000.2704
euvd windows_server_2012_r2 fix: 6.3.9600.23337
euvd windows_server_2012_r2_server_core_installation fix: 6.3.9600.23337
euvd windows_server_2016 fix: 10.0.14393.9418
euvd windows_server_2016_server_core_installation fix: 10.0.14393.9418
euvd windows_server_2019 fix: 10.0.17763.9115
euvd windows_server_2019_server_core_installation fix: 10.0.17763.9115
euvd windows_server_2022 fix: 10.0.20348.5499
euvd windows_server_2025 fix: 10.0.26100.33296
euvd windows_server_2025_server_core_installation fix: 10.0.26100.33296

Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)

Affects your stack

Affects 12 packages in euvd

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

Technical ContextAI · show details

Windows DNS is Microsoft's DNS server and resolver component, present in both Windows Server roles and some Windows client builds. CWE-362 (Concurrent Execution Using Shared Resource with Improper Synchronization) describes a race condition where two or more threads or processes access a shared resource without adequate locking, creating a window for an attacker to manipulate intermediate state. In this case the DNS service's shared resource handling is exploitable at the network level, but only by a principal who has already obtained high-privilege access - consistent with CVSS PR:H. Race condition exploitation typically requires precise timing and repeated attempts, which maps to AC:H. Affected builds span Windows Server 2012 R2 through Windows Server 2025, as well as Windows 10 (1607, 1809) and Windows 11 26H1, indicating the vulnerable code path is present across a wide kernel/service lineage.

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  • Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources

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Severity by source

Vendor (microsoft) PRIMARY 6.6 MEDIUM
AV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
vuln.today AI 6.6 MEDIUM

Network vector confirmed by DNS service exposure; AC:H for race condition timing requirement; PR:H because exploitation requires authorized high-privilege access per description.

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

Primary rating from Vendor (microsoft).

CVSS VectorVendor: microsoft

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

Lifecycle Timeline

2
Patch available
Aug 11, 2026 - 18:19 EUVD
CVE Published
Aug 11, 2026 - 17:18 cve.org
MEDIUM 6.6

DescriptionCVE.org

Concurrent execution using shared resource with improper synchronization ('race condition') in Windows DNS allows an authorized attacker to execute code over a network.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.5%
Top 60% exploitable
Prevalence
High
Windows DNS Server deployed in most enterprise Active Directory environments
Vendor Status
Publicly Disclosed:No
Exploited:No
Latest Software Release:Exploitation Unlikely
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 0.5%
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
High
Technical Impact
Total

Priority Score

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

Attack Technique

Information disclosure occurs when an application unintentionally exposes sensitive data that aids attackers in reconnaissance or directly compromises security.

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