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Sql Server 2016Application · Microsoft

CVE-2026-55002

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-07-14
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 13.0.6500.1 / 13.0.7095.1 or later.
See remediation →
94/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable Zero-click 5 weeks old

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
External control of file name or path in SQL Server allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges over a network.

In the news

Third-party coverage
Trending covered by 1 outlet this week · latest 1mo ago

Surfaced from public web coverage — external links open in a new tab.

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

A vulnerability in Microsoft SQL Server allows an authorized attacker to control file names or paths, potentially enabling privilege elevation over a network. The external control of file path could be exploited to access sensitive files or execute code with elevated permissions.

MitigationApply vendor-supplied patches when available. Validate and sanitize all file path inputs in SQL Server configurations. Restrict permissions following 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, < 13.0.6500.1>= 13.0.7000.253, < 13.0.7095.1
Sql Server 2017Application
Affected:>= 14.0.1000.169, < 14.0.2120.1>= 14.0.3006.16, < 14.0.3540.1
Sql Server 2019Application
Affected:>= 15.0.2000.5, < 15.0.2180.2>= 15.0.4003.23, < 15.0.4480.2
Sql Server 2022Application
Affected:>= 16.0.1000.6, < 16.0.1190.2>= 16.0.4003.1, < 16.0.4262.2
Sql Server 2025Application
Affected:>= 17.0.1000.7, < 17.0.1125.2>= 17.0.4006.2, < 17.0.4060.2

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. Identify SQL Server installation and version
    Run 'SELECT @@VERSION' in SQL Server Management Studio or execute 'sqlcmd -Q "SELECT @@VERSION"' from an administrative command prompt to retrieve the installed SQL Server version and build number.
    Affected if The installed version falls within the affected range for CVE-2026-55002 (compare your build number to official Microsoft security bulletin).
  2. Check forxp_cmdshell is enabled
    Execute 'EXEC sp_configure 'xp_cmdshell'' in a SQL query to determine whether the xp_cmdshell extended stored procedure is enabled. If sp_configure returns 'run_value' of 1, it is enabled.
    Affected if xp_cmdshell is enabled and the attacker has execute permissions on it, allowing path traversal to manipulate file operations for privilege escalation.
  3. Verify SQL Server service account privileges
    Open SQL Server Configuration Manager, select SQL Server Services, and note the Log On As account. Check this account's file system permissions using 'icacls' or examine group membership via 'net user [accountname]' in Command Prompt.
    Affected if The SQL Server service account has excessive file system permissions or is running as a high-privilege account (such as LocalSystem or domain administrator).
  4. Inspect SQL Server error logs for path traversal attempts
    Open SQL Server Management Studio, expand Management, then SQL Server Logs, and review current and archived logs. Search for entries containing patterns like '..', '../', or file access failures to unauthorized paths.
    Affected if Recent error log entries show failed path traversal attempts or unauthorized file access from SQL Server contexts.
  5. Audit SQL user permissions on file system objects
    Query 'SELECT * FROM sys.database_permissions' and 'SELECT * FROM fn_my_permissions(NULL, 'OBJECT')' for standard users to identify if they have permissions to execute extended stored procedures that perform file I/O.
    Affected if Standard database users have permissions to execute file-operation procedures (xp_cmdshell, sp_OACreate, etc.) beyond what is required for their role.

Your environment is affected if you are running a Microsoft SQL Server version within the CVE-affected range AND xp_cmdshell or similar file-operation procedures are enabled AND standard database users have elevated permissions that could exploit the path traversal for privilege escalation.

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
Upgrade available Upgrade to 13.0.6500.1 / 13.0.7095.1 / 14.0.2120.1 or later
Fixed in 13.0.6500.113.0.7095.114.0.2120.1
Interim mitigation

Apply vendor-supplied patches when available. Validate and sanitize all file path inputs in SQL Server configurations. Restrict permissions following least-privilege principles.

Fix this in Sql Server 2016 Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation8.0 h
  • Implementation16.0 h
  • Testing12.0 h
  • Review / QA8.0 h
44.0 hours of engineering $7,720
Get the upgrade done

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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-2026-55002 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