CVE-2025-10214
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedDLL search path hijacking vulnerability in the UPDF.exe executable for Windows version 1.8.5.0 allows attackers with local access to execute arbitrary code by placing a FREngine.dll file of their choice in the 'C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Local\UPDF\FREngine\Bin64\' directory, which could lead to arbitrary code execution and persistence.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceThis is a DLL search path hijacking vulnerability in UPDF.exe version 1.8.5.0 where the application loads FREngine.dll from a user-writable directory (C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Local\UPDF\FREngine\Bin64\) instead of a secure application directory. An attacker with local access can place a malicious FREngine.dll in this location, causing arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the user when UPDF.exe runs.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data= 1.8.5.0CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Verify UPDF version is 1.8.5.0Open Programs and Features (appwiz.cpl), locate UPDF in the list, and check the Version column; or right-click UPDF.exe, select Properties, and examine the File Version on the Details tabAffected if The installed version is exactly 1.8.5.0
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Confirm vulnerable DLL search path existsNavigate to C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Local\UPDF\FREngine\Bin64\ in Windows Explorer or via command prompt using dir %LOCALAPPDATA%\UPDF\FREngine\Bin64Affected if The directory C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Local\UPDF\FREngine\Bin64\ exists and is accessible
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Check directory permissions are user-writableRight-click the FREngine\Bin64 folder, select Properties, go to the Security tab, and review the permissions for Users or the current user accountAffected if Users or the current user account has Write or Modify permissions to this directory
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Detect presence of FREngine.dll in vulnerable locationRun dir C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Local\UPDF\FREngine\Bin64\FREngine.dll or use PowerShell: Get-ChildItem $env:LOCALAPPDATA\UPDF\FREngine\Bin64\FREngine.dllAffected if FREngine.dll exists in the C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Local\UPDF\FREngine\Bin64\ directory
A user is affected if UPDF version 1.8.5.0 is installed and the FREngine.dll file is being loaded from the user-writable AppData\Local\UPDF\FREngine\Bin64\ directory instead of a secure application directory.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor dataUpdate to a patched version of UPDF if available; alternatively, remove write permissions from the vulnerable directory or implement secure DLL loading by using full absolute paths and verifying DLL signatures before loading.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-10214 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2025-10214 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data