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

Severity: high (CVSS 7.2 v3.1)
Exploited in the wild: not listed in CISA KEV
EPSS: 1.2% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days
Public exploit or detection template: none known
Published: 2026-01-13 · updated 2026-07-30
Weakness: CWE-306

Description

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

Affected products

Microsoft Sql Server 2022: from 16.0.1000.6 before 16.0.1165.1; from 16.0.4003.1 before 16.0.4230.2 — fixed in 16.0.1165.1, 16.0.4230.2
Microsoft Sql Server 2025: 17.0.1000.7
Microsoft SQL Server 2022 for x64-based Systems (CU 22): from 16.0.0.0 before 16.0.4230.2 — fixed in 16.0.4230.2
Microsoft SQL Server 2022 (GDR): from 16.0.0 before 16.0.1165.1 — fixed in 16.0.1165.1
Microsoft SQL Server 2025 for x64-based Systems (GDR): from 17.0.1050.2 before 17.0.1050.2 — fixed in 17.0.1050.2

How to fix

Upgrade to a fixed version: Microsoft Sql Server 2022 16.0.1165.1, 16.0.4230.2; Microsoft SQL Server 2022 for x64-based Systems (CU 22) 16.0.4230.2; Microsoft SQL Server 2022 (GDR) 16.0.1165.1; Microsoft SQL Server 2025 for x64-based Systems (GDR) 17.0.1050.2. Check the vendor advisory for mitigations.

References

https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-20803

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