dbcve.org
Sql Server 2016Application · Microsoft

CVE-2026-21262

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-03-10
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 13.0.6480.4 / 13.0.7075.5 or later.
See remediation →
94/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
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
Improper access control in SQL Server allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges over a network.

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

Improper access control vulnerability in Microsoft SQL Server that allows an authenticated attacker to elevate their privileges through network access, potentially gaining unauthorized administrative capabilities.

MitigationApply Microsoft security patches for the affected SQL Server versions and conduct a comprehensive review of SQL Server role memberships and permission configurations to enforce least-privilege principles.

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 Server 2016Application
Affected:>= 13.0.6300.2, < 13.0.6480.4>= 13.0.7000.253, < 13.0.7075.5
Sql Server 2017Application
Affected:>= 14.0.1000.169, < 14.0.2100.4>= 14.0.3006.16, < 14.0.3520.4
Sql Server 2019Application
Affected:>= 15.0.2000.5, < 15.0.2160.4>= 15.0.4003.23, < 15.0.4460.4
Sql Server 2022Application
Affected:>= 16.0.1000.6, < 16.0.1170.5>= 16.0.4003.1, < 16.0.4240.4
Sql Server 2025Application
Affected:>= 17.0.1000.7, < 17.0.1105.2>= 17.0.4006.2, < 17.0.4020.2

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

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/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. Determine installed SQL Server version
    Run query: SELECT @@VERSION; or check SQL Server Error Log for version string, or inspect registry key: HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL{Version}\Setup\Version
    Affected if The installed version falls within any of the affected ranges: 2016 (13.0.6300.2 to 13.0.6480.4, 13.0.7000.253 to 13.0.7075.5), 2017 (14.0.1000.169 to 14.0.2100.4, 14.0.3006.16 to 14.0.3520.4), 2019 (15.0.2000.5 to 15.0.2160.4, 15.0.4003.23 to 15.0.4460.4), 2022 (16.0.1000.6 to 16.0.1170.5, 16.0.400
  2. Verify SQL Server network exposure
    Check SQL Server Configuration Manager > Network Configuration > Protocols for TCP/IP enabled; or run: SELECT * FROM sys.dm_exec_connections WHERE net_transport = 'TCP'; or inspect server's listening ports via netstat -an | findstr 1433
    Affected if SQL Server is listening on TCP port 1433 (default) or other network-accessible ports and is reachable from untrusted networks
  3. Review server-level roles with administrative privileges
    Run: SELECT member.name AS MemberName, role.name AS RoleName FROM sys.server_role_members JOIN sys.server_principals role ON sys.server_role_members.role_principal_id = role.principal_id JOIN sys.server_principals member ON sys.server_role_members.member_principal_id = member.principal_id WHERE role.name IN ('sysadmin', 'securityadmin', 'serveradmin')
    Affected if Untrusted or low-privilege user accounts are members of sysadmin, securityadmin, or serveradmin roles, enabling privilege escalation if the server is network-accessible

The environment is affected if the SQL Server version is within any of the listed vulnerable ranges AND the server is network-accessible with low-privilege accounts able to connect.

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
Upgrade available Upgrade to 13.0.6480.4 / 13.0.7075.5 / 14.0.2100.4 or later
Fixed in 13.0.6480.413.0.7075.514.0.2100.4
Interim mitigation

Apply Microsoft security patches for the affected SQL Server versions and conduct a comprehensive review of SQL Server role memberships and permission configurations to enforce least-privilege principles.

Recommended fix High confidence

SQL Server 2016: upgrade to 13.0.6480.4 (or 13.0.7075.5+); SQL Server 2017: upgrade to 14.0.2100.4 (or 14.0.3520.4+); SQL Server 2019: upgrade to 15.0.2160.4 (or 15.0.4460.4+); SQL Server 2022: upgrade to 16.0.1170.5 (or 16.0.4240.4+); SQL Server 2025: upgrade to 17.0.1105.2 (or 17.0.4020.2+)

  1. 1. Identify the current SQL Server version by running 'SELECT @@VERSION;' in SQL Server Management Studio
  2. 2. Determine which branch of your current version falls within the affected range (initial release train or later release train)
  3. 3. Plan maintenance window for the upgrade - this requires downtime
  4. 4. Back up all databases including system databases before proceeding
  5. 5. Download and install the appropriate cumulative update for your SQL Server version from Microsoft Update Catalog or Microsoft Download Center
  6. 6. Run the installer and follow the upgrade wizard steps
  7. 7. After upgrade, verify SQL Server services are running correctly
  8. 8. Test critical applications and queries to ensure functionality
Caveat Standard SQL Server CU upgrade - minimal risk but always test in staging first; review release notes for any behavior changes in your version branch

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

Fix this in Sql Server 2016 Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
16.0 hours of engineering $2,840
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,544.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2026-21262 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

Get it on GitHub Scan in the browser

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-2026-21262 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