dbcve.org
Windows Server 2008Operating system · Microsoft

CVE-2022-26822

MEDIUM · 6.6 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 →
72/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
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

Windows DNS Server contains a remote code execution vulnerability that could allow an authenticated attacker to execute arbitrary code on the affected DNS server. The vulnerability exists in the DNS service component of Windows Server.

MitigationApply the Microsoft security update released in April 2022 for CVE-2022-26822. If immediate patching is not possible, restrict network access to DNS servers and implement network segmentation to limit exposure.

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

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/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
    On the target Windows Server, open Server Manager, go to 'Manage' > 'Add Roles and Features', or run 'Get-WindowsFeature -Name DNS' in PowerShell to list the DNS Server role installation status.
    Affected if DNS Server role is installed and the server version falls within the affected ranges (Server 2008/2008 R2, 2012/2012 R2, 2016/2016 20H2, 2019, 2022).
  2. Confirm Windows Server version
    Run 'winver' from the command prompt, or run 'Get-ComputerInfo | Select-Object OsName, OsVersion, OsBuildNumber' in PowerShell, or check System Properties to identify the exact Windows Server version and build number.
    Affected if The installed version matches any of the affected products listed in the CVE (all versions of Server 2008 through 2022).
  3. Check if April 2022 security update is installed
    Open Control Panel > Programs and Features > View installed updates, or run 'Get-HotFix | Where-Object {$_.InstalledOn -ge "04/12/2022"}' in PowerShell to list updates installed on or after April 12, 2022. Look for KB5013624 (Server 2022), KB5013623 (Server 2019), KB5011570 (Server 2016), or KB5005114 (Server 2012 R2/2008 R2) depending on your version.
    Affected if The April 2022 security updates for CVE-2022-26822 are NOT installed.
  4. Verify DNS service is running
    Open Services console (services.msc) and locate 'DNS Server', or run 'Get-Service -Name DNS' in PowerShell to check if the DNS Server service is currently running.
    Affected if The DNS Server service is running on a vulnerable, unpatched Windows Server version.

The environment is affected if a DNS Server role is installed on any Windows Server version listed as affected (2008 R2 through 2022) AND the April 2022 security updates have not been applied.

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 update released in April 2022 for CVE-2022-26822. If immediate patching is not possible, restrict network access to DNS servers and implement network segmentation to limit exposure.

Recommended fix High confidence

Apply the April 2022 Cumulative Security Update for your Windows Server version (KB5012599 or version-specific security update)

  1. Install the Windows security update that addresses CVE-2022-26822
  2. Apply the April 2022 security updates for Windows Server via Windows Update or Microsoft Update Catalog
  3. Restart the DNS server role after applying the update
  4. Verify the DNS Server service is running correctly post-restart
  5. Confirm the vulnerability is remediated by checking that the DNS service accepts queries normally
Caveat Standard server update—test in staging before production deployment; may require maintenance window for restart

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

Fix this in Windows Server 2008 Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
20.0 hours of engineering $3,500
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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-2022-26822 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

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