CVE-2025-27488: Microsoft Windows Hardware Lab Kit (HLK) Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability

Severity: medium (CVSS 6.7 v3.1)
Exploited in the wild: not listed in CISA KEV
EPSS: 0.4% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days
Public exploit or detection template: none known
Published: 2025-05-13 · updated 2026-06-17
Weakness: CWE-798

Description

Use of hard-coded credentials in Windows Hardware Lab Kit allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.

Affected products

Microsoft Windows Hardware Lab Kit: before 10.1.17763.7010; before 10.1.19041.5609; before 10.1.20348.3330; before 10.1.22621.5040; before 10.1.26100.3478 — fixed in 10.1.17763.7010, 10.1.19041.5609, 10.1.20348.3330, 10.1.22621.5040, 10.1.26100.3478
Microsoft Windows 10 HLK version 20H2: from 1.0.0 before 10.1.19041.5609 — fixed in 10.1.19041.5609
Microsoft Windows 10 HLK version 21H1: from 1.0.0 before 10.1.19041.5609 — fixed in 10.1.19041.5609
Microsoft Windows 10 HLK version 21H2: from 1.0.0 before 10.1.19041.5609 — fixed in 10.1.19041.5609
Microsoft Windows 10 HLK Version 22H2: from 1.0.0 before 10.1.19041.5609 — fixed in 10.1.19041.5609
Microsoft Windows 11 HLK 22H2: from 1.0.0 before 10.1.22621.5040 — fixed in 10.1.22621.5040
Microsoft Windows 11 HLK 24H2: from 1.0.0 before 10.1.26100.3478 — fixed in 10.1.26100.3478
Microsoft Windows HLK for Windows 10 version 2004: from 1.0.0 before 10.1.19041.5609 — fixed in 10.1.19041.5609
Microsoft Windows HLK for Windows Server 2019: from 1.0.0 before 10.1.17763.7010 — fixed in 10.1.17763.7010
Microsoft Windows HLK for Windows Server 2022: from 1.0.0 before 10.1.20348.3330 — fixed in 10.1.20348.3330
Microsoft Windows HLK for Windows Server 2025: from 1.0.0 before 10.1.26100.3478 — fixed in 10.1.26100.3478
Microsoft Windows HLK, version 1809: from 1.0.0 before 10.1.17763.7010 — fixed in 10.1.17763.7010

How to fix

Upgrade to a fixed version: Microsoft Windows Hardware Lab Kit 10.1.17763.7010, 10.1.19041.5609, 10.1.20348.3330, 10.1.22621.5040; Microsoft Windows 10 HLK version 20H2 10.1.19041.5609; Microsoft Windows 10 HLK version 21H1 10.1.19041.5609; Microsoft Windows 10 HLK version 21H2 10.1.19041.5609; Microsoft Windows 10 HLK Version 22H2 10.1.19041.5609; Microsoft Windows 11 HLK 22H2 10.1.22621.5040; Microsoft Windows 11 HLK 24H2 10.1.26100.3478; Microsoft Windows HLK for Windows 10 version 2004 10.1.19041.5609; Microsoft Windows HLK for Windows Server 2019 10.1.17763.7010; Microsoft Windows HLK for Windows Server 2022 10.1.20348.3330; Microsoft Windows HLK for Windows Server 2025 10.1.26100.3478; Microsoft Windows HLK, version 1809 10.1.17763.7010. Check the vendor advisory for mitigations.

References

https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2025-27488

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