Windows Server 2025 KB5120233 breaks remote management between two servers

Shahab Moradi 0 Reputation points
2026-09-14T13:47:03.34+00:00

We have identified a reproducible remote-management issue between two Windows Server 2025 systems after installing KB5120233.

Environment:

  • OS: Windows Server 2025 Standard
  • OS Build: 26100
  • Affected systems: two Windows Server 2025 servers
  • Both systems are used as DHCP servers.

Symptoms: After KB5120233 is installed on either server, remote management from one server to the other fails.

The following commands fail when targeting the other server:

  1. Get-Service -ComputerName <remote-server> -Name DHCPServer Error: Cannot find any service with service name ...
  2. Get-Service -ComputerName <remote-server> -Name W32Time Error: Cannot find any service with service name ...
  3. Get-Service -ComputerName <remote-server> -Name EventLog Error: Cannot find any service with service name ...
  4. Get-DhcpServerVersion -ComputerName <remote-server> Error: PermissionDenied / WIN32 5

Additional observations:

  • Windows Firewall profiles are disabled on the affected servers.
  • The problem started after the relevant Windows updates were installed.
  • DHCP itself is not the root cause; the issue affects remote management between the servers.

Reproduction / A-B test:

  1. KB5120233 installed on one of the two servers: Remote management between the two servers fails.
  2. KB5120233 installed on the other server instead: Remote management between the two servers also fails.
  3. KB5120233 removed from both servers: Remote management immediately works normally again.

This strongly indicates that KB5120233 is causing a compatibility/regression issue affecting remote management between Windows Server 2025 systems.

We would like Microsoft to investigate:

  • What change introduced by KB5120233 could cause this behavior?
  • Whether this is a known issue or regression.
  • Whether there is a recommended workaround.
  • Whether a newer cumulative update or hotfix resolves the issue.
  • Whether Microsoft can provide guidance before KB5120233 is redeployed in production.
Windows for business | Windows Server | Devices and deployment | Install Windows updates, features, or roles
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  1. Scott Nguyen 2,045 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-09-14T15:02:28.3633333+00:00

    Hello Shahab Moradi,

    Based on the testing described, I think the issue related to KB5120233 rather than to the DHCP Server itself. And after checking August 11, 2026—KB5120233 (OS Build 26100.33296)with Windows Server 2025 known issues and notifications website, Microsoft does not list any issue matching these symptoms among the documented known issues for this update.

    I would recommend testing the current September 2026 cumulative update, KB5122871 (OS Build 26100.33438), on one non-production server to see if the issue exist. However, I could not find documentation stating that KB5122871 specifically fixes this issue, so I would not deploy it officially without testing.

    Also, reviewing the System and Security event logs on both machines for RPC, DCOM, Kerberos, NTLM, LSA, SCM may provide more information about which component is rejecting or failing the remote request.

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