Executive brief
BranchCache is a Windows feature that caches data from remote servers to improve network performance. An out-of-bounds read vulnerability in this component allows an attacker on the network to trigger a denial of service, causing Windows systems to become unavailable or unresponsive.
Technical details
An out-of-bounds read vulnerability exists in the Windows BranchCache service, a caching mechanism used to optimize bandwidth consumption in branch office deployments. The vulnerability allows a network-based attacker without authentication to send specially crafted BranchCache protocol packets that trigger out-of-bounds memory reads. This can lead to denial of service by crashing the BranchCache service or the affected Windows system. The attack requires only network access to a system with BranchCache enabled and does not require user interaction or elevated privileges.
Affected products
- Microsoft Windows
Timeline
- 2026-09-08: disclosed