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Sql ServerApplication · Microsoft

CVE-2015-1762

HIGH · 7.1 CVSS v2.0 Published 2015-07-14
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
77/100
Remediation priority · High
Remotely reachable Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
Microsoft SQL Server 2008 SP3 and SP4, 2008 R2 SP2 and SP3, 2012 SP1 and SP2, and 2014, when transactional replication is configured, does not prevent use of uninitialized memory in unspecified function calls, which allows remote authenticated users to execute arbitrary code by leveraging certain permissions and making a crafted query, as demonstrated by the VIEW SERVER STATE permission, aka "SQL Server Remote Code Execution Vulnerability."

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

Memory corruption vulnerability in Microsoft SQL Server where uninitialized memory is used in unspecified function calls when transactional replication is configured. An authenticated attacker with elevated permissions (e.g., VIEW SERVER STATE) can execute arbitrary code via crafted queries.

MitigationApply Microsoft security updates for CVE-2015-1762 to all affected SQL Server instances. If patching is delayed, restrict VIEW SERVER STATE permission, disable transactional replication if unnecessary, and limit network access to SQL Server.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Sql ServerApplication
Affected:= 2008= 2012= 2014

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
High
Authentication
Single
Confidentiality
Complete
Integrity
Complete
Availability
Complete

AV:N/AC:H/Au:S/C:C/I:C/A:C

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify the installed SQL Server version
    Run SELECT @@VERSION in SQL Server Management Studio or execute 'sqlcmd -S <server> -Q "SELECT @@VERSION"' to retrieve the version string. Look for the major version number (2008, 2012, or 2014).
    Affected if The reported version matches 2008, 2012, or 2014.
  2. Verify if transactional replication is configured
    Query the distribution database or check replication settings. Run: SELECT name, status FROM sys.databases WHERE is_published = 1 OR is_merge_published = 1 OR is_distributor = 1. Also check: EXEC sp_helppublication.
    Affected if Any database shows as published or the server is configured as a Distributor for transactional replication.
  3. Confirm transactional replication is enabled at the server level
    Execute: SELECT name, value_in_use FROM sys.configurations WHERE name = 'replication repl' (or check replication-related configurations). Also run: EXEC sp_helpserver to list configured replication servers.
    Affected if Transactional replication is listed as enabled or the instance is configured as a replication Distributor or Publisher.
  4. Check for VIEW SERVER STATE permission grants
    Run: SELECT grantor, grantee_name, permission_name FROM sys.server_permissions WHERE permission_name = 'VIEW SERVER STATE'. Identify if non-administrative users or applications have this permission.
    Affected if Users other than sysadmin or trusted administrators have been granted VIEW SERVER STATE permission.

The environment is affected if the SQL Server version is 2008, 2012, or 2014 AND transactional replication is configured/enabled AND elevated permissions exist for non-administrative users.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

From vendor data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply Microsoft security updates for CVE-2015-1762 to all affected SQL Server instances. If patching is delayed, restrict VIEW SERVER STATE permission, disable transactional replication if unnecessary, and limit network access to SQL Server.

Fix this in Sql Server Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
19.0 hours of engineering $3,240
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2015-1762 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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