Microsoft Windows DNS Server: Information disclosure via out-of-bounds read
Summary
A flaw in the Windows DNS Server role allows an out-of-bounds read, which can expose information over the network. According to the CVE record, the attacker must be authorized and hold high privileges (PR:H), and only confidentiality is affected. The CVSS base score is 4.9 (Medium).
Affected
- Windows Server 2016 (including Server Core): 10.0.14393.0 before 10.0.14393.9688
- Windows Server 2019 (including Server Core): 10.0.17763.0 before 10.0.17763.9487
- Windows Server 2022: 10.0.20348.0 before 10.0.20348.5870 (third-party sources only, not yet confirmed by Microsoft)
- Windows Server 2025 (including Server Core): 10.0.26100.0 before 10.0.26100.33822 (third-party sources only, not yet confirmed by Microsoft)
Fixed in
- November 2026 Patch Tuesday security updates for the affected Windows Server versions
- Verify the build numbers against the Microsoft Security Update Guide before rollout
Workaround
Unknown. No vendor workaround has been identified.
Exploitation
- Not known to be exploited as of 10 November 2026 (OffSeq)
- Rapid7 rates exploitation as "Less Likely" and lists the CVE as not publicly disclosed
- No public proof of concept found; this is not confirmed absence
- CISA SSVC: Exploitation none, Automatable no, Technical Impact partial
Our recommendation
- Apply the November 2026 Windows security updates to Windows Server 2016 and 2019 DNS hosts, together with the other Windows DNS fixes from the same batch
- Prioritise domain controllers running the DNS role
- Confirm that no Windows DNS service is reachable from the internet on port 53
- Restrict administrative access to DNS servers to reduce the risk from privileged accounts
- Do not wait for the NVD analysis
Information from Microsoft (Patch Tuesday November 2026)
- Severity (Microsoft)
- Important
- Impact
- Information disclosure – Windows DNS
- Status on Patch Tuesday
- Neither exploited nor publicly disclosed
- Exploitability assessment
- Exploitation less likely
- Product family
- Windows, Windows ESU (Extended Security Updates)
- Updates (KB)
- KB5131291, KB5131085, KB5131090, KB5131080, KB5131077
Public exploits
PoC-in-GitHub, Metasploit and Exploit-DB list nothing for this CVE.
Research sources
- CVE Record CVE-2026-96988 (CVE.org) www.cve.org
- Microsoft Security Update Guide msrc.microsoft.com
- OffSeq Radar radar.offseq.com
- Strix AI CVE details www.strix.ai
- Rapid7 Patch Tuesday November 2026 www.rapid7.com
- BleepingComputer Patch Tuesday November 2026 www.bleepingcomputer.com
Researched and written up in English and German by an AI (Claude by Anthropic) based on NVD, CISA, EPSS and the sources listed. The vendor information is authoritative. Researched on 11 Nov 2026, 19:17.
Original description (NVD)
Out-of-bounds read in Windows DNS allows an authorized attacker to disclose information over a network.
NVD references (1)
Sources
The tracker combines official, freely usable data sources – updated continuously:
- NVD (NIST) – CVEs, rating (CVSS), affected products
- CISA KEV – vulnerabilities confirmed by CISA as actively exploited
- CISA Vulnrichment – CISA assessment (SSVC) in the official CVE record
- FIRST EPSS – probability of exploitation
- Microsoft MSRC – Patch Tuesday: vulnerabilities, severity, updates
- PoC-in-GitHub – public proof-of-concept repositories
- Metasploit (Rapid7) – modules of the Metasploit Framework
- Exploit-DB (OffSec) – archive of public exploits (links only)
- Patch days: official vendor pages (linked per vendor) (Vendor patch days)
This product uses data from the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. EPSS data © FIRST.org.
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