Memory Leak in Windows DHCP Client

Publication date: 2026-09-08

Last updated on: 2026-09-10

Assigner: Microsoft Corporation

Description

Missing release of memory after effective lifetime in Windows DHCP Client allows an unauthorized attacker to deny service over an adjacent network.

CVSS Scores

EPSS Scores

Probability:
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Meta Information

Published

2026-09-08

Last Modified

2026-09-10

Generated

2026-09-29

AI Q&A

2026-09-10

EPSS Evaluated

2026-09-27

NVD

CVE-2026-69781

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
microsoft	windows_server_2025	to 10.0.26100.33438 (exc)
microsoft	windows_11_24h2	to 10.0.26100.9445 (exc)
microsoft	windows_11_24h2	to 10.0.26100.9445 (exc)
microsoft	windows_11_25h2	to 10.0.26200.9445 (exc)
microsoft	windows_11_25h2	to 10.0.26200.9445 (exc)
microsoft	windows_11_26h1	to 10.0.28000.2954 (exc)
microsoft	windows_11_26h1	to 10.0.28000.2954 (exc)

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
CWE-401	The product does not sufficiently track and release allocated memory after it has been used, making the memory unavailable for reallocation and reuse.

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

This vulnerability involves a missing release of memory after its effective lifetime in the Windows DHCP Client. An unauthorized attacker can exploit this to deny service over an adjacent network.

Impact Analysis

An attacker could disrupt network services by causing a denial of service, potentially affecting connectivity and operations dependent on DHCP services.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply the latest Windows security updates from Microsoft to patch the DHCP Client vulnerability. Monitor network traffic for unusual DHCP-related activity and restrict adjacent network access to trusted devices only.

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