CVE-2026-72949: CWE-476: NULL Pointer Dereference in Microsoft Windows 11 version 23H2
Description
CVE-2026-72949 is a high-severity vulnerability in Microsoft Windows 11 version 23H2 involving a null pointer dereference in the SMB Server Network Transport Driver (srvnet.sys). This flaw allows an unauthorized attacker to cause a denial of service over a network. The vulnerability affects multiple builds of Windows 11 23H2 prior to specific patched versions. An official fix is available from Microsoft.
CVSS v3.1
Score 7.5high
Affected software
Microsoft
Windows 11 version 23H2
Microsoft
Windows 11 Version 23H2
Microsoft
Windows 11 Version 24H2
Microsoft
Windows 11 Version 25H2
Microsoft
Windows 11 version 26H1
Microsoft
Windows Server 2022
Microsoft
Windows Server 2025
Microsoft
Windows Server 2025 (Server Core installation)
Weaknesses
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
This vulnerability (CVE-2026-72949) is a null pointer dereference in the Windows SMB Server Network Transport Driver (srvnet.sys) component of Microsoft Windows 11 version 23H2. Exploiting this flaw allows an unauthenticated attacker to cause a denial of service (DoS) condition remotely by triggering the null pointer dereference. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 7.5 (high), reflecting network attack vector, low attack complexity, no privileges or user interaction required, and impact limited to availability (denial of service). Multiple affected Windows 11 23H2 builds are identified with specific build ranges. Microsoft has issued an official fix for this vulnerability.
Potential Impact
An attacker can remotely cause a denial of service on affected Windows 11 23H2 systems by exploiting the null pointer dereference in the SMB Server Network Transport Driver. This results in system instability or crash, impacting availability. There is no confidentiality or integrity impact. No known exploits in the wild have been reported.
Mitigation Recommendations
Microsoft has released an official fix for this vulnerability. Users and administrators should apply the available security updates to affected Windows 11 23H2 versions as soon as possible to remediate this issue. No additional mitigation is required once the patch is applied.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- microsoft
- Date Reserved
- 2026-08-10T18:14:23.517Z
- Cvss Version
- 3.1
- State
- PUBLISHED
- Remediation Level
- official-fix
- Vendor Advisory Urls
- [{"url":"https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-72949","vendor":"Microsoft"}]
Threat ID: 6aa04546acd9273b49fa9cf5
Added to database: 09/08/2026, 17:26:30 UTC
Last enriched: 10/16/2026, 21:46:20 UTC
Last updated: 10/23/2026, 01:15:26 UTC
Views: 25
Community Reviews
0 reviewsCrowdsource mitigation strategies, share intel context, and vote on the most helpful responses. Sign in to add your voice and help keep defenders ahead.
Want to contribute mitigation steps or threat intel context? Sign in or create an account to join the community discussion.
Actions
Updates to AI analysis require Pro Console access. Upgrade inside Console → Billing.
External Links
Need more coverage?
Upgrade to Pro Console for AI refresh and higher limits.
For incident response and remediation, OffSeq services can help resolve threats faster.
Latest Threats
Check if your credentials are on the dark web
Instant breach scanning across billions of leaked records. Free tier available.