# CVE-2026-96252: Microsoft Active Directory Federation Services cryptographic signature verification bypass

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-96252-improper-verification-of-cryptographic-signature-in-active  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-10-13. Updated: 2026-10-20  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-96252 · Severity: critical · CVSS 9.1 · Published 2026-10-13

Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS) is a critical authentication system that validates user identities for enterprise applications. An attacker can bypass the cryptographic signature verification mechanism to forge authentication tokens, allowing spoofing attacks that could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive corporate resources and data.

Technologies: [Microsoft Active Directory Federation Services](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/active-directory-federation-services), [Microsoft Windows 10 1607](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/windows-10-1607), [Microsoft Windows 10 1809](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/windows-10-1809), [Microsoft Windows Server 2012](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/windows-server-2012), [Microsoft Windows Server 2016](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/windows-server-2016), [Microsoft Windows Server 2019](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/windows-server-2019), [Microsoft Windows Server 2022](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/windows-server-2022), [Microsoft Windows Server 2025](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/windows-server-2025). Vendors: [Microsoft](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/microsoft).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-96252 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-96252 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-96252?** Critical severity, with a CVSS score of 9.1, published 13 October 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Microsoft Active Directory Federation Services.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-96252?** No fixed version is recorded yet. Check the vendor's advisory in the references below. If you run it, Junglewise drafts a mitigation that fits your setup and applies it once you approve, with senior security engineers behind it.

**How is CVE-2026-96252 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a hosted service.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-96252?** Check whether you run Microsoft Active Directory Federation Services, Microsoft Windows 10 1607, Microsoft Windows 10 1809 or one of the others listed. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## Technical details

The vulnerability stems from improper verification of cryptographic signatures in AD FS, allowing an attacker to perform spoofing attacks over the network. An unauthenticated attacker with network access can craft malicious tokens that bypass signature validation, granting unauthorized access without valid credentials. A fix has been released by Microsoft.

## Affected products

- Microsoft Active Directory Federation Services

## Timeline

- 2026-10-13: disclosed

## References

- [https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-96252](https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-96252)

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