CVE-2026-50465 in Windows
Summary
by MITRE • 07/14/2026
Improper access control in Microsoft Windows DNS allows an authorized attacker to perform tampering locally.
Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/14/2026
This vulnerability represents a critical weakness in Microsoft Windows Domain Name System implementation where proper access controls fail to prevent unauthorized modifications by legitimate users who have already gained system access. The flaw resides in how the DNS service handles authentication and authorization for local modification operations, creating a path where authorized individuals can manipulate DNS records without appropriate privilege validation. This misconfiguration enables attackers who have established a foothold on a Windows system to potentially redirect network traffic, compromise domain resolution, or facilitate further lateral movement within the network infrastructure.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-284 Access Control Issues, specifically manifesting as improper access control in a critical system service. When an attacker successfully exploits this weakness, they can manipulate DNS server configurations to redirect queries to malicious servers, effectively creating a man-in-the-middle attack vector. The operational impact extends beyond simple data manipulation since DNS serves as a fundamental component of network infrastructure, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous for enterprise environments where domain resolution drives critical business operations.
From an adversarial perspective, this vulnerability enables attackers to leverage their existing local access to perform sophisticated attacks such as DNS cache poisoning, credential harvesting through malicious DNS responses, or redirection of internal services to attacker-controlled systems. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this under T1071.004 Application Layer Protocol DNS and potentially T1566 Credential Access techniques, as attackers can use manipulated DNS records to capture credentials or redirect users to phishing sites. The local nature of the attack means that exploitation requires minimal network exposure while still providing maximum operational impact.
Organizations should implement comprehensive monitoring of DNS server configurations and establish strict access controls for DNS management interfaces. Regular security audits of DNS service permissions, implementation of principle of least privilege for DNS administrative accounts, and deployment of DNS integrity checking mechanisms can significantly reduce the risk. Additionally, network segmentation and firewall rules should restrict unnecessary access to DNS services while maintaining proper logging of all DNS modification activities to detect potential exploitation attempts.