CVE-2026-88117 — Windows DHCP Server Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

Executive Summary

Use after free in Windows DHCP Server allows an unauthorized attacker to execute code over a network.

Overview

8.1

CVSS HIGH

Critical

MS Severity

Not Exploited

MS Exploit Status

Less Likely

MS Exploit Likelihood

Category Remote Code Execution

Weakness CWE-416: Use After Free

Released Oct 13 2026

Last Updated Oct 13 2026

Publicly Disclosed No

CISA KEV Not Listed

Known Exploits None Known

CVSS Vector

ATTACK VECTOR

Network

ATTACK COMPLEXITY

High

PRIVILEGES REQUIRED

None

USER INTERACTION

None

SCOPE

Unchanged

CONFIDENTIALITY

High

INTEGRITY

High

AVAILABILITY

High

EXPLOIT CODE MATURITY

Unproven

REMEDIATION LEVEL

Official Fix

REPORT CONFIDENCE

Confirmed

Temporal Score: 7.1

EPSS Score

No EPSS score available for this CVE.

View on FIRST.org

Affected Products

12 affected products

Product	KB Article	Severity	Impact	Restart Required
Windows Server 2012	`5126835 (Security Update)`	Critical	Remote Code Execution	Yes
Windows Server 2012 (Server Core installation)	`5126835 (Security Update)`	Critical	Remote Code Execution	Yes
Windows Server 2012 R2	`5126836 (Security Update)`	Critical	Remote Code Execution	Yes
Windows Server 2012 R2 (Server Core installation)	`5126836 (Security Update)`	Critical	Remote Code Execution	Yes
Windows Server 2016	`5126868 (Security Update)`	Critical	Remote Code Execution	Yes
Windows Server 2016 (Server Core installation)	`5126868 (Security Update)`	Critical	Remote Code Execution	Yes
Windows Server 2019	`5126651 (Security Update)`	Critical	Remote Code Execution	Yes
Windows Server 2019 (Server Core installation)	`5126651 (Security Update)`	Critical	Remote Code Execution	Yes
Windows Server 2022	`5126655 (Security Update)`	Critical	Remote Code Execution	Yes
Windows Server 2022 (Server Core installation)	`5126655 (Security Update)`	Critical	Remote Code Execution	Yes
Windows Server 2025	`5126646 (Security Update)`	Critical	Remote Code Execution	Yes
Windows Server 2025 (Server Core installation)	`5126646 (Security Update)`	Critical	Remote Code Execution	Yes

Patches

6 patches

Article	Type	Restart
`5126835`	Security Update	Yes
`5126836`	Security Update	Yes
`5126868`	Security Update	Yes
`5126651`	Security Update	Yes
`5126655`	Security Update	Yes
`5126646`	Security Update	Yes

Exploits & PoC

No public exploit or PoC has been linked for this CVE yet. When available, references are sourced from public repositories and may be unverified or non-functional — review carefully before use.

Detection Rules

No public Sigma or Nuclei detection rule has been mapped to this CVE yet. Coverage is concentrated on exploited / high-profile vulnerabilities; check SigmaHQ for updates.

Acknowledgments

Satyanarayana Oruganti with Microsoft

References

MSRC Advisory MITRE NVD