Service interruption via unreleased DHCP client memory
Published Sep 8, 2026 · Updated Sep 9, 2026
Memory leak in Microsoft Windows DHCP Client allows physically proximate attackers to interrupt service through adjacent-network traffic. The client fails to release memory after its effective lifetime while processing that traffic; Microsoft has not disclosed the responsible routine or packet field. Exploitation requires access to an adjacent network, needs no authentication or user interaction, and affects availability without reported data exposure or modification.
Summary
What happened
Memory leak in Microsoft Windows DHCP Client allows physically proximate attackers to interrupt service through adjacent-network traffic. The client fails to release memory after its effective lifetime while processing that traffic; Microsoft has not disclosed the responsible routine or packet field. Exploitation requires access to an adjacent network, needs no authentication or user interaction, and affects availability without reported data exposure or modification.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-69781
- Published
- Sep 8, 2026
- Updated
- Sep 9, 2026
- Vendor
- Microsoft
- Product
- Windows Server 2025 (Server Core installation)
- Classifications
- CWE-401, T1499
- Attack vector
- adjacent
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Sep 8, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Sep 9, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=10.0.26100.0 <10.0.26100.33438
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
No public exploit references are available in this record.
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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