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CVE-2025-48799: Windows Update Service Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability

• Severity: high (CVSS 7.8 v3.1)
• Exploited in the wild: not listed in CISA KEV
• EPSS: 1.3% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days
• Public exploit or detection template: yes
• Published: 2025-07-08 · updated 2026-06-17
• Weakness: CWE-59

Description

Improper link resolution before file access ('link following') in Windows Update Service allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.

Affected products

• Microsoft Windows 10 1607: before 10.0.14393.8246 — fixed in 10.0.14393.8246
• Microsoft Windows 10: before 10.0.17763.7558 — fixed in 10.0.17763.7558
• Microsoft Windows 10: before 10.0.19044.6093 — fixed in 10.0.19044.6093
• Microsoft Windows 10: before 10.0.19045.6093 — fixed in 10.0.19045.6093
• Microsoft Windows 11: before 10.0.22621.5624 — fixed in 10.0.22621.5624
• Microsoft Windows 11: before 10.0.22631.5624 — fixed in 10.0.22631.5624
• Microsoft Windows 11: before 10.0.26100.4652 — fixed in 10.0.26100.4652
• Microsoft Windows Server 2025: before 10.0.26100.4652 — fixed in 10.0.26100.4652
• Microsoft Windows 10 1607: from 10.0.14393.0 before 10.0.14393.8246 — fixed in 10.0.14393.8246
• Microsoft Windows 10: from 10.0.17763.0 before 10.0.17763.7558 — fixed in 10.0.17763.7558
• Microsoft Windows 10: from 10.0.19044.0 before 10.0.19044.6093 — fixed in 10.0.19044.6093
• Microsoft Windows 10: from 10.0.19045.0 before 10.0.19045.6093 — fixed in 10.0.19045.6093
• Microsoft Windows 11: from 10.0.22621.0 before 10.0.22621.5624 — fixed in 10.0.22621.5624
• Microsoft Windows 11 version 22H3: from 10.0.22631.0 before 10.0.22631.5624 — fixed in 10.0.22631.5624
• Microsoft Windows 11: from 10.0.22631.0 before 10.0.22631.5624 — fixed in 10.0.22631.5624
• Microsoft Windows 11: from 10.0.26100.0 before 10.0.26100.4652 — fixed in 10.0.26100.4652
• Microsoft Windows Server 2025: from 10.0.26100.0 before 10.0.26100.4652 — fixed in 10.0.26100.4652

How to fix

Upgrade to a fixed version: Microsoft Windows 10 1607 10.0.14393.8246; Microsoft Windows 10 10.0.17763.7558; Microsoft Windows 10 10.0.19044.6093; Microsoft Windows 10 10.0.19045.6093; Microsoft Windows 11 10.0.22621.5624; Microsoft Windows 11 10.0.22631.5624; Microsoft Windows 11 10.0.26100.4652; Microsoft Windows Server 2025 10.0.26100.4652; Microsoft Windows 10 1607 10.0.14393.8246; Microsoft Windows 10 10.0.17763.7558; Microsoft Windows 10 10.0.19044.6093; Microsoft Windows 10 10.0.19045.6093. Check the vendor advisory for mitigations.

References

• https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2025-48799
• https://www.vicarius.io/vsociety/posts/cve-2025-48799-detection-script-elevation-of-privilege-vulnerability-in-windows-update-service
• https://www.vicarius.io/vsociety/posts/cve-2025-48799-mitigation-script-elevation-of-privilege-vulnerability-in-windows-update-service

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