Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
-
AccessObtain low-privileged domain credentials
-
DeliverySend crafted request to AD DS over network
-
ExploitTrigger out-of-bounds write in AD DS
-
ExecutionCorrupt memory and execute code
-
ImpactFull domain controller compromise
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
ASVS 5.0
V15 - Secure Coding and Architecture Bounds checking, write limits
MITRE ATT&CK
2 techniques across 2 tactics: Execution, 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 an authenticated low-privileged position in the environment (CVSS PR:L), network reachability to a vulnerable Active Directory Domain Services endpoint (AV:N), and a domain controller running an unpatched Windows Server build within the affected ranges (e.g. Windows Server 2025 <10.0.26100.33650, Server 2022 <10.0.20348.5761, Server 2019 <10.0.17763.9376, down through Server 2012/2012 R2, plus client builds hosting the AD DS component). The principal limiting factor is the authentication requirement - this is not reachable by fully unauthenticated attackers (PR:L, not PR:N) - which, combined with CISA SSVC Automatable: no, means exploitation is not expected to be mass/worm-style and depends on an attacker first gaining a valid domain credential. |
| Impact | This is a credible, high-priority vulnerability but not an emergency as of this analysis. The CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N) describes network-reachable exploitation with low attack complexity, no user interaction, and only low privileges required (PR:L = an authenticated but low-level domain account), yielding full compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability (C:H/I:H/A:H) on an unchanged scope - appropriate for a code-execution out-of-bounds write (CWE-787) in a domain controller role. However, the exploitation signals argue against treating this as actively dangerous right now: CISA's SSVC framework reports Exploitation: none and Automatable: no, there is no CISA KEV listing, and no public POC is indicated - so there is no public exploit identified at time of analysis. SSVC Technical Impact: total is consistent with the C/I/A:H code-execution claim. The key tension to flag: the CVSS 8.8 base score is driven by the severe impact and low barrier, but the absence of exploitation evidence (SSVC 'none', no KEV, no POC) means real-world risk is currently latent rather than imminent. Given the target (Active Directory Domain Services, i.e. domain controllers), the potential blast radius if exploitation emerges is severe, so patching should be prioritized despite the current lack of exploit activity. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker who already holds a low-privileged, authenticated foothold in the domain (e.g. a compromised standard user account) sends a crafted request over the network to a vulnerable Active Directory Domain Services endpoint, triggering an out-of-bounds write that corrupts memory and leads to arbitrary code execution on the domain controller. Because PR:L requires only low privileges and no user interaction, any authenticated principal could attempt this; no public exploit code is identified at time of analysis, so weaponization is not confirmed. |
Get an e-mail when this CVE is exploited, patched or re-scored. Free account.
Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Oct 13, 2026
An out-of-bounds write in Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) lets an authenticated, low-privileged attacker who can reach a domain controller over the network execute arbitrary code in the context of the directory service, with total loss of confidentiality, integrity, and availability per the CVSS 8.8 vector (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H). Affected are unpatched Windows Server 2012, 2012 R2, 2016, 2019, 2022 and 2025 builds as well as Windows 10 (1607, 1809, 21H2, 22H2) and Windows 11 (23H2, 24H2, 25H2, 26H1, 26H2) installations that host the AD DS component, including Server Core deployments. Exploitation requires a valid domain credential and domain-controller reachability, and there is no public exploit identified at time of analysis (CISA SSVC: Exploitation none, Automatable no), but vendor-released patches are available and the assessed technical impact is total, so domain controllers should be patched on a priority basis.
RemediationAI
Apply the vendor patch; fixed builds are published for every affected platform - Windows Server 2025 and Windows 11 24H2 10.0.26100.33650/10.0.26100.9711, Windows Server 2022 10.0.20348.5761, Windows Server 2019 and Windows 10 1809 10.0.17763.9376, Windows Server 2016 and Windows 10 1607 10.0.14393.9612, Windows 10 21H2/22H2 10.0.19044.7807, Windows 11 23H2 10.0.22631.7652, 25H2 10.0.26200.9711, 26H1 10.0.28000.3231 and 26H2 10.0.26300.9711, and legacy Windows Server 2012 6.2.9200.26434 and 2012 R2 6.3.9600.23470 - per the Microsoft advisory at https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-88165, and prioritize domain controllers first because they carry the AD DS component. Because exploitation requires an authenticated low-privileged position (PR:L) and SSVC marks the flaw non-automatable, the strongest interim compensations are reducing the number of accounts and hosts that can reach DC services: restrict inbound LDAP (389/636), Kerberos (88), RPC endpoint mapper (135) and DRSUAPI replication traffic on domain controllers to trusted management subnets and jump hosts via Windows Firewall or network ACLs - accepting that this breaks legitimate directory clients, replication partners, and monitoring tools outside those ranges; enforce tiered administration so that low-privileged workstation credentials cannot be used to reach DC interfaces; and audit for anomalous authenticated directory traffic. These are compensating controls only and do not remove the memory-corruption defect, so patching remains the definitive fix; no public exploit code is known at time of analysis, which makes pre-emptive patching on DCs a low-friction, high-value action.
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 a CWE-787 out-of-bounds write - a memory-corruption class defect in which data is written past the end of an allocated buffer - located in Active Directory Domain Services, the Windows directory service that powers authentication, Kerberos, LDAP, and directory replication on domain controllers. Because the vulnerable code path is reachable over the network (AV:N) but requires a low-privileged, authenticated position (PR:L), the practical trigger is a malicious or malformed request issued by an account that has already obtained domain credentials rather than an anonymous internet attacker; SSVC's Automatable: no rating is consistent with this, indicating the exploit is not expected to be self-propagating or mass-exploitable without substantial attacker effort. Successful corruption of the AD DS process (lsass-hosted directory services) typically yields code execution at the service level, which on a domain controller is a highly privileged foothold, explaining the C:H/I:H/A:H impact ratings; the tags Buffer Overflow and Memory Corruption corroborate the out-of-bounds write diagnosis. Affected CPE/product data spans Windows Server 2012 (6.2.9200.x), 2012 R2 (6.3.9600.x), 2016 and Windows 10 1607 (10.0.14393.x), 2019 and Windows 10 1809 (10.0.17763.x), 2022 (10.0.20348.x), 2025 and Windows 11 24H2 (10.0.26100.x), plus Windows 10 21H2/22H2 (10.0.19044/19045.x) and Windows 11 23H2/25H2/26H1/26H2 client builds, with Server Core installations included wherever AD DS is enabled.
Know when Windows gets its next vulnerability
- Watch products and get an email when something new is published
- Check this CVE against your own stack and servers
- Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources
No credit card · 7-day full trial
Severity by source
AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Network-reachable AD DS code execution needing an authenticated low-privileged account (PR:L) with no user interaction and low complexity; out-of-bounds write yields full C/I/A impact on an unchanged scope.
Primary rating from Vendor (microsoft).
CVSS VectorVendor: microsoft
Lifecycle Timeline
2DescriptionCVE.org
Out-of-bounds write in Active Directory Domain Services allows an authorized attacker to execute code over a network.
Executive ViewAI
A memory-safety flaw in Active Directory Domain Services on unpatched Windows Server and Windows client systems that host the AD DS role allows a user with ordinary domain credentials to run code as the directory service itself, which is a domain-wide trust anchor. Because domain controllers authenticate and authorize nearly every business system, a successful attack could let an attacker mint credentials, alter directory data, and disrupt access to email, file shares, and line-of-business applications enterprise-wide. Every organization running supported Windows Server or Windows client builds with AD DS should treat domain controller remediation as a top infrastructure priority.
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.
Memory corruption occurs when a program writes data beyond the boundaries of allocated memory regions or accesses memory in unintended ways, violating the integrity of the process's address space.
Unauthenticated remote code execution in SmarterTools SmarterMail lets an attacker upload arbitrary files to any locatio
Windows Win32k fails to properly handle objects in memory, allowing local privilege escalation exploited in the wild in
A privilege escalation vulnerability (CVSS 5.5). Risk factors: actively exploited (KEV-listed), EPSS 94% exploitation pr
Windows Internet Shortcut Files (.url) contain an external control vulnerability (CVE-2025-33053, CVSS 8.8) that enables
Windows SMB contains an improper access control vulnerability (CVE-2025-33073, CVSS 8.8) enabling authenticated attacker
Twonky Server 8.5.2 on Linux and Windows allows unauthenticated access to the admin log file through a web service API b
An unrestricted file upload vulnerability exists in MiniWeb HTTP Server <= Build 300 that allows unauthenticated remote
FreeFloat FTP Server contains multiple critical design flaws that allow unauthenticated remote attackers to upload arbit
Serviio Media Server versions 1.4 through 1.8 on Windows contain an unauthenticated command injection in the /rest/actio
Twonky Server 8.5.2 uses hard-coded cryptographic keys for encrypting the administrator password. Combined with the cred
Mako Server versions 2.5 and 2.6 contain an unauthenticated OS command injection via the tutorial interface at examples/
React Native Metro Development Server binds to external interfaces by default and contains an OS command injection endpo
EUVD-2026-99595
GHSA-w68f-vh7h-r3fr
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
Exploit-DB