Type Vulnerability
Missing release of memory after effective lifetime in Windows DNS allows an unauthorised attacker to deny service over a network.
Windows DNS Denial of Service Vulnerability
CVE-2026-96176
What this means
This is rated high severity (7.5 out of 10). There is no confirmed exploitation of it yet. Ask IT whether the affected products are in your estate.
Full vendor description
Missing release of memory after effective lifetime in Windows DNS allows an unauthorized attacker to deny service over a network.
Scoring and exploitation
7.5/ 10
CVSS 3.1 base scoreHigh
Exploitable over the network without any account, and no one has to click or open anything. High impact on availability.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Exploitability
Longer bar: easier to attack
Attack vectorNetworkAV:N
Attack complexityLowAC:L
Privileges requiredNonePR:N
User interactionNoneUI:N
ScopeUnchangedS:U
Impact
Longer bar: more harm
ConfidentialityNoneC:N
IntegrityNoneI:N
AvailabilityHighA:H
- Not reported
- Exploited in the wild
- Not confirmed in the
- Not reported
Weaknesses
CWE-401
References
1 link from the CVE record, grouped by site.
msrc.microsoft.com1 link