Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
This SQL Server flaw could let an already authorized, low-privilege local attacker gain higher privileges by influencing a file name or path. Successful exploitation could compromise sensitive data, alter systems, or disrupt database availability. It is serious, but the supplied sources do not indicate remote exploitation or exploitation in the wild.
Executive priority
Treat as a high-priority scheduled remediation, accelerated for systems holding sensitive data or permitting low-privilege local access. Immediate emergency action is not substantiated by the supplied evidence because exploitation requires prior authorization and local access, with no cited active exploitation.
Technical view
CVE-2026-55002 is a CWE-73 external-control-of-file-path vulnerability affecting listed Microsoft SQL Server 2016 through 2025 releases. CVSS 3.1 rates it 7.8: local access, low complexity, low privileges, no user interaction, unchanged scope, and high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact.
Likely exposure
Exposure is limited to organizations running the listed SQL Server releases. Risk is greatest where users, applications, or administrators with limited authorization can access the affected server locally. The source bundle does not identify the precise vulnerable component, configuration prerequisites, or whether default installations are affected.
Exploitation context
The attacker must already be authorized and able to act locally with low privileges. No user interaction is required, and exploitation is assessed as low complexity. The bundle marks the CVE as absent from KEV and provides no cited evidence of active exploitation or public exploit availability.
Researcher notes
The record identifies external control of a file name or path but does not describe the affected operation, privilege boundary, attack artifacts, or configuration dependencies. Avoid inferring a specific filesystem primitive. Validate exposure using Microsoft’s affected-product and update information; the supplied evidence is insufficient for exploitability testing guidance.
Mitigation direction
- Review the Microsoft advisory and apply its corresponding SQL Server security update.
- Prioritize shared or sensitive database servers where low-privilege local access is available.
- Test the update for application compatibility before production rollout.
- Restrict unnecessary local and delegated access while remediation is pending.
Validation and detection
- Inventory SQL Server editions, release branches, and installed build numbers.
- Compare each installation with the affected products and current Microsoft advisory.
- Confirm the applicable security update installed successfully on every affected host.
- Reassess local and delegated access paths after remediation.
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-73: File access and web shell behavior lookup
File traversal and upload weaknesses can lead teams to review file, web shell, execution, and collection telemetry. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupPrivilege behavior lookup
The CVE wording references privilege impact, so privilege escalation and authorization behavior review may help. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2026-55002 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- High
- CVSS
- 7.8 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:U/RL:O/RC:C
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
SSVC decision data
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:U/RL:O/RC:C1.85.9microsoftVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
7.8HighVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:U/RL:O/RC:C
Vulnerability timeline
Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.
- CVE reservedCVE Program
The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.
- CVE publishedCVE Program
The CVE record was published.
- CVE updatedCVE Program
The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.
ADP provider summaries
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- Microsoft SQL Server Elevation of Privilege VulnerabilityCVE reference, microsoft · vendor-advisory, patch
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
External Control of File Name or Path
External Control of File Name or Path represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.