Executive brief
Windows Secure Socket Tunneling Protocol (SSTP) is a remote access technology that allows authorized users to connect to corporate networks securely. A resource leak in SSTP can be exploited by authenticated users to exhaust system resources and cause denial of service on affected computers, disrupting network access and potentially requiring a restart.
Technical details
This vulnerability is a missing release of resource after effective lifetime in Windows SSTP, classified as a resource leak (CWE-404). An authorized/authenticated attacker can trigger the leak through SSTP protocol interactions, causing unreclaimed resources to accumulate over time. The attack vector is local and requires prior authentication. Successful exploitation results in denial of service via resource exhaustion, preventing legitimate SSTP connections or degrading system performance. Microsoft has issued a security update to address this issue.
Affected products
- Microsoft Windows <UNKNOWN>
Timeline
- 2026-09-08: disclosed