CVE-2026-20803 | Microsoft SQL Server Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability

Missing authentication for critical function in SQL Server allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges over a network.

Published: 2026-01-13 Last update: 2026-01-16 Assigner: [email protected] Source: [email protected]
NVD Status：Analyzed，CVE State: published
View at NVD, CVE.org, EUVD

CVE-2026-20803 is rated Low Risk (36.2/100): CVSS High severity, with low exploitation likelihood (EPSS 0.07%). Monitor for updates and reassess as exploit intelligence or EPSS changes.

Risk is dynamic; we continuously reassess and refresh what is shown on this page as upstream context changes.

Exploit prediction scoring system (EPSS) score for CVE-2026-20803

EPSS lead: Daily EPSS estimates relative likelihood of exploitation; percentile ranks this CVE among scored vulnerabilities (higher = more severe relative rank).

# Date Old EPSS score New EPSS score Delta (New - Old)
1 2026-01-14 — 0.07% —

Full EPSS history (1 record total)

Common vulnerability scoring system (CVSS) metrics for CVE-2026-20803

CVSS metrics for this CVE.

Base score Version Severity Vector Exploitability Impact Score source
7.2 3.1 HIGH
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H Click to expand
Attack vector (AV:N)
Could be attacked over the internet or any normal routed network—not just someone sitting at the machine.
Attack complexity (AC:L)
Once they can reach the bug, pulling it off is straightforward—no weird race conditions or rare setup.
Privileges required (PR:H)
They need powerful rights—admin, root, or similar—before this pays off.
User interaction (UI:N)
Nobody has to click “OK” or open a trap file; it can work without a victim helping.
Scope (S:U)
Damage stays in the same “trust bubble” as the broken component—no big spill into unrelated systems.
Confidentiality (C:H)
Serious risk that confidential data gets exposed in a big way.
Integrity (I:H)
They could widely tamper with or forge data—trust in the data is badly hurt.
Availability (A:H)
Could take the service down hard or make it unusable for people who depend on it.
 1.2 5.9 [email protected]

Weakness enumeration for CVE-2026-20803

Affected software / configurations for CVE-2026-20803

Vendor Product Version Raw CPE
microsoft sql_server_2022 >= 16.0.1000.6, < 16.0.1165.1 cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:sql_server_2022:*:*:*:*:*:*:x64:*
microsoft sql_server_2022 >= 16.0.4003.1, < 16.0.4230.2 cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:sql_server_2022:*:*:*:*:*:*:x64:*
microsoft sql_server_2025 17.0.1000.7 cpe:2.3:a:microsoft:sql_server_2025:17.0.1000.7:*:*:*:*:*:x64:*

References for CVE-2026-20803

cvelogic Threat Intelligence