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Attack ChainAIDerived

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

  1. Access
    Reach target RPC endpoint on TCP 135
  2. Delivery
    Send preparatory RPC requests to groom heap layout
  3. Exploit
    Send malformed RPC payload triggering heap overflow
  4. Execution
    Corrupt heap metadata or function pointer
  5. Persist
    Redirect execution to attacker-controlled code
  6. Impact
    Execute 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

The attack requires network-level access to the target host's RPC endpoint - specifically TCP port 135 (the RPC Endpoint Mapper) and the dynamically assigned high ports used by RPC services. No authentication is required (PR:N confirmed by CVSS vector), and no user interaction is needed. The AC:H rating indicates that exploitation is not reliable against arbitrary heap states; the attacker likely must engineer specific heap layout conditions, possibly via repeated connection attempts or a sequence of preparatory requests, before the overflow produces a controlled primitive. Exploitation is limited by: (1) network reachability to RPC ports, which should be firewall-restricted in hardened environments; (2) the AC:H complexity barrier requiring non-trivial heap grooming; and (3) host-based firewall rules on modern Windows versions that may restrict inbound RPC by default from untrusted networks. There is no indication of a non-default configuration requirement - the RPC Runtime is active by default on all affected Windows versions.

Impact

The CVSS 8.1 score reflects a meaningful tension: the full C:H/I:H/A:H impact with AV:N/PR:N/UI:N signals critical exploitability potential, but AC:H substantially reduces the practical exploitation rate. No EPSS score was provided in the input data, so probability of exploitation cannot be quantified numerically. KEV status is absent, and no POC has been identified, suggesting weaponized exploitation has not been observed at publication time. Despite AC:H, RPC Runtime's ubiquity means that even a low per-attempt success rate becomes dangerous at scale - automated scanners or worm-capable malware can probe millions of endpoints. Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2 reach (or have reached) ESU boundaries, and organizations without ESU enrollment face potential patch gaps. The combination of network attack vector, zero authentication, and pervasive deployment footprint justifies high-priority remediation despite the complexity barrier. This is not a dismiss-due-to-AC:H situation; it is a patch-rapidly situation, particularly for externally reachable RPC services.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

An unauthenticated attacker on the same network segment - or with access to a Windows host's RPC endpoint on TCP 135 and associated dynamic ports - sends a specially crafted RPC request designed to trigger the heap overflow condition in the RPC Runtime. After manipulating heap layout to satisfy AC:H requirements (for example, through repeated connection attempts to achieve a specific allocation state), the attacker overwrites a function pointer or heap metadata to redirect execution flow, ultimately achieving arbitrary code execution under the security context of the RPC service. No public proof-of-concept has been identified at time of analysis.

This Week Schedule remediation this week. Why: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9).
Patch available 0.5% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Aug 11, 2026

Remote code execution via heap-based buffer overflow in the Windows RPC Runtime affects every supported Windows desktop and server release from Windows 10 1607 through Windows 11 26H1 and Windows Server 2012 through Server 2025. An unauthenticated remote attacker who can reach an exposed RPC endpoint can corrupt heap memory and achieve arbitrary code execution, yielding full confidentiality, integrity, and availability compromise of the target system. No public exploit code or CISA KEV listing has been identified at time of analysis; however, the breadth of affected versions, combined with network accessibility and no authentication requirement, elevates operational priority for internet-facing and laterally-reachable Windows infrastructure.

RemediationAI

Apply the Microsoft security update via Windows Update or WSUS to bring all systems to or above the patched build for their respective release: Server 2025 to 10.0.26100.33296, Server 2022 to 10.0.20348.5499, Server 2019 to 10.0.17763.9115, Server 2016 to 10.0.14393.9418, Server 2012 R2 to 6.3.9600.23337, Server 2012 to 6.2.9200.26279, Windows 11 23H2 to 10.0.22631.7517, Windows 11 24H2 to 10.0.26100.9168, Windows 11 25H2 to 10.0.26200.9168, Windows 11 26H1 to 10.0.28000.2704, Windows 10 21H2/22H2 to 10.0.19044.7663/10.0.19045.7663, and Windows 10 1607/1809 to 10.0.14393.9418/10.0.17763.9115 respectively. The full patch guidance is at https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-62781. Organizations running Windows Server 2012 or 2012 R2 must verify active ESU enrollment to receive this patch, as these versions are past standard support. As a compensating control where immediate patching is not possible, restrict inbound RPC traffic (TCP 135, dynamic high ports) at perimeter and host-based firewalls to trusted IP ranges only; note this may impact DCOM, WMI remoting, and distributed application functionality. Do not expose RPC endpoints directly to the internet.

Affected VersionsENISA

Windows Server 2025 10.0.26100.0 <10.0.26100.33296
Windows Server 2019 10.0.17763.0 <10.0.17763.9115
Windows Server 2012 R2 (Server Core installation) 6.3.9600.0 <6.3.9600.23337
Windows Server 2012 6.2.9200.0 <6.2.9200.26279
Windows 11 version 26H1 10.0.28000.0 <10.0.28000.2704
Windows Server 2012 R2 6.3.9600.0 <6.3.9600.23337
Windows Server 2016 10.0.14393.0 <10.0.14393.9418
Windows 11 Version 25H2 10.0.26200.0 <10.0.26200.9168
Windows 11 Version 24H2 10.0.26100.0 <10.0.26100.9168
Windows Server 2025 (Server Core installation) 10.0.26100.0 <10.0.26100.33296
Windows 10 Version 21H2 10.0.19044.0 <10.0.19044.7663
Windows Server 2019 (Server Core installation) 10.0.17763.0 <10.0.17763.9115
Windows 10 Version 22H2 10.0.19045.0 <10.0.19045.7663
Windows Server 2016 (Server Core installation) 10.0.14393.0 <10.0.14393.9418
Windows Server 2012 (Server Core installation) 6.2.9200.0 <6.2.9200.26279
Windows 11 Version 23H2 10.0.22631.0 <10.0.22631.7517
Windows 10 Version 1607 10.0.14393.0 <10.0.14393.9418
Windows Server 2022 10.0.20348.0 <10.0.20348.5499
Windows 10 Version 1809 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_10_version_21h2 fix: 10.0.19044.7663
euvd windows_10_version_22h2 fix: 10.0.19045.7663
euvd windows_11_version_23h2 fix: 10.0.22631.7517
euvd windows_11_version_24h2 fix: 10.0.26100.9168
euvd windows_11_version_25h2 fix: 10.0.26200.9168
euvd windows_11_version_26h1 fix: 10.0.28000.2704
euvd windows_server_2012 fix: 6.2.9200.26279
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_2012_server_core_installation fix: 6.2.9200.26279
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 19 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 Windows RPC Runtime library (rpcrt4.dll) implements the Microsoft RPC protocol stack, which underpins core Windows services, SMB-adjacent functionality, DCOM, WMI, and hundreds of other inter-process and inter-host communication channels. CWE-122 (Heap-based Buffer Overflow) indicates that attacker-controlled input causes a write beyond the bounds of a heap-allocated buffer, enabling classical heap metadata corruption or controlled overwrite primitives. RPC Runtime is present and active by default on all Windows endpoints and servers, making it a pervasive attack surface. The CVSS Attack Complexity of High (AC:H) implies that exploitation is not straightforward - likely requiring precise heap layout manipulation, a race condition, or targeting a specific RPC interface binding - but the lack of any privilege or user interaction requirement (PR:N/UI:N) means an unauthenticated attacker on the network can attempt exploitation autonomously once the conditions are met.

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  • Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources

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Severity by source

Vendor (microsoft) PRIMARY 8.1 HIGH
AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
vuln.today AI 8.1 HIGH

Network-exposed RPC Runtime, no auth required, but high complexity for heap grooming; full system impact upon success.

3.1 AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
4.0 AV:N/AC:H/AT:N/PR:N/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
None
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 nvd
HIGH 8.1

DescriptionCVE.org

Heap-based buffer overflow in RPC Runtime allows an unauthorized attacker to execute code over a network.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

Windows RPC Runtime vulnerability (CVE-2026-62781) enables remote attackers to gain complete control of Windows computers and servers across all supported versions without requiring credentials. Every Windows machine connected to the network or internet-including desktops, laptops, and critical servers-is at risk of unauthorized access, data theft, and operational disruption. Immediate patching is essential given the broad attack surface and absence of authentication barriers.

Business Impact: High
Compensating Controls

Apply vendor patch.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.5%
Top 58% exploitable
Prevalence
Ubiquitous
core Windows OS component, deployed across virtually all enterprise 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 HIGH
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.5%
Patch available Yes
Active threat No
Deciding rule
HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9)
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
Scheduled
Exploitation
None
System Exposure· derived
Open
Automatable
No
Human Impact
High
Technical Impact
Total

Priority Score

41
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: +1
CVSS: +40
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

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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