CVE-2026-85865

Awaiting Analysis Awaiting Analysis - Queue

Improper Authentication in Windows DHCP Server

Publication date: 2026-10-13

Last updated on: 2026-10-13

Assigner: Microsoft Corporation

Description

Improper authentication in Windows DHCP Server allows an authorized attacker to bypass a security feature locally.

CVSS Scores

EPSS Scores

Probability:
Percentile:

Meta Information

Published

2026-10-13

Last Modified

2026-10-13

Generated

2026-10-19

AI Q&A

2026-10-14

EPSS Evaluated

2026-10-18

NVD

CVE-2026-85865

EUVD

EUVD-2026-99568

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
Microsoft	Windows	10 Version 1607 10.0.14393.0
Microsoft	Windows	10 Version 1809 10.0.17763.0
Microsoft	Windows	Server 2012 6.2.9200.0
Microsoft	Windows	Server 2012 (Server Core installation) 6.2.9200.0
Microsoft	Windows	Server 2012 R2 6.3.9600.0
Microsoft	Windows	Server 2012 R2 (Server Core installation) 6.3.9600.0
Microsoft	Windows	Server 2016 10.0.14393.0
Microsoft	Windows	Server 2016 (Server Core installation) 10.0.14393.0
Microsoft	Windows	Server 2019 10.0.17763.0
Microsoft	Windows	Server 2019 (Server Core installation) 10.0.17763.0
Microsoft	Windows	Server 2022 10.0.20348.0
Microsoft	Windows	Server 2025 10.0.26100.0
Microsoft	Windows	Server 2025 (Server Core installation) 10.0.26100.0

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
CWE-288	The product requires authentication, but the product has an alternate path or channel that does not require authentication.

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

This vulnerability involves improper authentication in Windows DHCP Server. An authorized attacker can bypass a security feature locally, potentially gaining unauthorized access or privileges.

Impact Analysis

An attacker could exploit this to bypass security controls on affected systems, leading to unauthorized access or privilege escalation. Systems running vulnerable Windows versions are at risk.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability allows an authorized attacker to bypass a security feature locally, which could undermine access controls and authentication mechanisms. This may impact compliance with standards like GDPR (data protection) and HIPAA (health data security) by weakening security controls required for protecting sensitive data.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply the latest security updates from Microsoft for Windows DHCP Server to address the improper authentication issue. Ensure all affected systems listed in the CPEs are updated.

Hi! I’m here to help you understand CVE-2026-85865. Ask me anything about the vulnerability, its impact, or mitigation strategies.

0/70