CVE-2026-62778
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Use After Free in Windows DNS Server Allows Privilege Escalation

Vulnerability report for CVE-2026-62778, including description, CVSS score, EPSS score, affected products, exploitability, helpful resources, and attack-flow context.

Publication date: 2026-08-11

Last updated on: 2026-08-17

Assigner: Microsoft Corporation

Description

Use after free in Windows DNS allows an unauthorized attacker to elevate privileges over a network.

CVSS Scores

EPSS Scores

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Meta Information

Published
2026-08-11
Last Modified
2026-08-17
Generated
2026-09-01
AI Q&A
2026-08-12
EPSS Evaluated
2026-08-30
NVD
EUVD

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 10 associated CPEs
Vendor Product Version / Range
microsoft windows_server_2012 r2
microsoft windows_server_2012 *
microsoft windows_10_1607 to 10.0.14393.9418 (exc)
microsoft windows_10_1607 to 10.0.14393.9418 (exc)
microsoft windows_server_2016 to 10.0.14393.9418 (exc)
microsoft windows_server_2022 to 10.0.20348.5440 (exc)
microsoft windows_server_2025 to 10.0.26100.33222 (exc)
microsoft windows_10_1809 to 10.0.17763.9121 (exc)
microsoft windows_10_1809 to 10.0.17763.9121 (exc)
microsoft windows_server_2019 to 10.0.17763.9121 (exc)

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE
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KEV
KEV Icon
CWE ID Description
CWE-416 The product reuses or references memory after it has been freed. At some point afterward, the memory may be allocated again and saved in another pointer, while the original pointer references a location somewhere within the new allocation. Any operations using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory "belongs" to the code that operates on the new pointer.
CWE-362 The product contains a concurrent code sequence that requires temporary, exclusive access to a shared resource, but a timing window exists in which the shared resource can be modified by another code sequence operating concurrently.

Attack-Flow Graph

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Executive Summary

This is a use-after-free vulnerability in Windows DNS that allows an unauthorized attacker to elevate their privileges over a network. Use-after-free occurs when a program continues to use memory after it has been freed, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution.

Impact Analysis

An attacker could exploit this to gain elevated privileges on your system, potentially allowing them to install programs, view or delete data, or create new accounts with full user rights.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability allows unauthorized attackers to elevate privileges over a network, which could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data. This may violate compliance requirements under GDPR (data protection) and HIPAA (health information security) by enabling unauthorized data access or modification.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply the latest security updates from Microsoft to patch the Windows DNS use-after-free vulnerability. Monitor Microsoft's security advisories for patches and install them promptly.

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EPSS Chart