dbcve.org
Windows Server 2008Operating system · Microsoft

CVE-2022-26812

HIGH · 7.2 CVSS v3.1 Published 2022-04-15
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
78/100
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
Windows DNS 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 · moderate confidence

This is a remote code execution vulnerability in Windows DNS Server. The vulnerability allows an attacker to execute arbitrary code on affected DNS servers, likely through specially crafted DNS queries. CVSS 7.2 indicates network-exploitable with relatively low complexity.

MitigationApply the Microsoft security updates for CVE-2022-26812 to all affected Windows DNS Server installations. Prioritize internet-facing DNS servers.

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
Windows Server 2008Operating system
Affected:all versions= r2
Windows Server 2012Operating system
Affected:all versions= r2
Windows Server 2016Operating system
Affected:all versions= 20h2
Windows Server 2019Operating system
Affected:all versions
Windows Server 2022Operating system
Affected:all versions

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
Low
Privileges
High
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

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. Verify DNS Server role is installed
    Run 'Get-WindowsFeature -Name DNS' in PowerShell on the target server, or check via Server Manager > Add Roles and Features. The vulnerability only affects servers with the DNS Server role installed.
    Affected if DNS Server role is installed and running
  2. Confirm Windows Server version
    Run 'winver' or 'systeminfo | findstr /B /C:"OS Name" /C:"OS Version"' to identify the exact Windows Server version and build number.
    Affected if Version matches Windows Server 2008 (all/R2), 2012 (all/R2), 2016 (all/20H2), 2019 (all), or 2022 (all)
  3. Check for security update KB5011493
    Run 'Get-HotFix | Where-Object {$_.HotFixID -eq "KB5011493"}' or view installed updates via Control Panel > Programs > View installed updates. This is the March 2022 security update containing the CVE fix.
    Affected if The KB5011493 update is NOT installed (system is vulnerable)
  4. Verify DNS Server service status
    Run 'Get-Service -Name DNS' or check via Services.msc to confirm the DNS Server service is running. The vulnerability is exploitable only when the service is active.
    Affected if DNS Server service is running

A server is affected if it runs an affected Windows Server version, has the DNS Server role installed, and is missing the KB5011493 security update.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Apply the Microsoft security updates for CVE-2022-26812 to all affected Windows DNS Server installations. Prioritize internet-facing DNS servers.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Upgrade to a supported Windows Server version (2016, 2019, or 2022) and apply the latest security updates

  1. Check Microsoft Security Response Center (msrc.microsoft.com) for CVE-2022-26812 to obtain the specific KB article number for your Windows Server version
  2. Identify the exact Windows Server version and build number by running 'winver' or 'systeminfo'
  3. Apply the corresponding security update from Windows Update or the Microsoft Update Catalog
  4. Restart the server as required by the security update
  5. Verify the DNS Server service is running properly after restart
Caveat Review KB article for any known issues or restart requirements; test in non-production environment before deploying organization-wide

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Windows Server 2008 Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
14.0 hours of engineering $2,380
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Scan for this in your stack

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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-2022-26812 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
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data