Executive brief
A vulnerability in Microsoft SQL Server could allow an authorized user to gain higher-level administrative permissions than they should have. SQL Server is a widely used database system for storing and managing corporate data. If exploited, an attacker with basic access could potentially view, modify, or delete sensitive information across the entire database environment.
Technical details
An improper access control vulnerability (CWE-284) exists in multiple versions of Microsoft SQL Server, including 2016 through 2025. The flaw allows an attacker who is already authenticated to the database instance to elevate their privileges via a network request. Successful exploitation grants the attacker high-level permissions (Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability impacts are all rated High), potentially leading to full control over the database server. The vulnerability is reachable over the network and does not require user interaction, though it does require low-level 'User' permissions as a precondition. Microsoft has released security updates to address this issue across affected versions.
Affected products
- Microsoft SQL Server 2016 13.0.6300.2 to 13.0.6480.4, 13.0.7000.253 to 13.0.7075.5
- Microsoft SQL Server 2017 14.0.1000.169 to 14.0.2100.4, 14.0.3006.16 to 14.0.3520.4
- Microsoft SQL Server 2019 15.0.2000.5 to 15.0.2160.4, 15.0.4003.23 to 15.0.4460.4
- Microsoft SQL Server 2022 16.0.1000.6 to 16.0.1170.5, 16.0.4003.1 to 16.0.4240.4
- Microsoft SQL Server 2025 17.0.1000.7 to 17.0.1105.2, 17.0.4006.2 to 17.0.4020.2
Timeline
- 2026-03-10: disclosed
- 2026-03-10: advisory