CVE-2026-72987: CWE-416: Use After Free in Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1607
Description
Use after free in Windows DNS allows an unauthorized attacker to execute code over a network.
CVSS v3.1
Score 8.1high
Affected software
Microsoft
Windows 10 Version 1607
Microsoft
Windows 10 Version 1809
Microsoft
Windows Server 2012
Microsoft
Windows Server 2012 (Server Core installation)
Microsoft
Windows Server 2012 R2
Microsoft
Windows Server 2012 R2 (Server Core installation)
Microsoft
Windows Server 2016
Microsoft
Windows Server 2016 (Server Core installation)
Microsoft
Windows Server 2019
Microsoft
Windows Server 2019 (Server Core installation)
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
CVE-2026-72987 is a use-after-free vulnerability (CWE-416) in the Windows DNS service that enables remote code execution by an unauthenticated attacker over the network. The vulnerability affects several Windows versions, including Windows 10 Version 1607 and others, within specific build ranges. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 8.1, indicating high severity, with attack vector network, high attack complexity, no privileges required, and no user interaction needed. Microsoft has published an official fix for this vulnerability.
Potential Impact
Successful exploitation of this vulnerability allows an attacker to execute arbitrary code remotely on affected Windows systems, potentially leading to full system compromise. The vulnerability impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability with high severity.
Mitigation Recommendations
Microsoft has released official patches to remediate this vulnerability. It is strongly recommended to apply the security updates provided by Microsoft for the affected Windows versions as listed in the vendor advisory. No additional mitigation steps are indicated by the vendor.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- microsoft
- Date Reserved
- 2026-08-10T18:38:17.057Z
- Cvss Version
- 3.1
- State
- PUBLISHED
- Remediation Level
- official-fix
- Vendor Advisory Urls
- [{"url":"https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-72987","vendor":"Microsoft"}]
Threat ID: 6aa0454bacd9273b49fa9d7f
Added to database: 09/08/2026, 17:26:35 UTC
Last enriched: 10/14/2026, 21:51:52 UTC
Last updated: 10/23/2026, 15:10:14 UTC
Views: 24
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