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Windows Server 2016Operating system · Microsoft

CVE-2025-25008

HIGH · 7.1 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-03-11
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 10.0.14393.7876 / 10.0.17763.7009 or later.
See remediation →
73/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Zero-click

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

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 · moderate confidence

A local privilege escalation vulnerability in Microsoft Windows where improper link resolution (symlink/junction following) allows an authorized attacker to access sensitive files or locations they shouldn't have access to, potentially gaining higher system privileges.

MitigationApply the Microsoft security update for CVE-2025-25008 once released. Until then, restrict file system access permissions and monitor for suspicious symlink/junction creation activities.

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
Windows Server 2016Operating system
Affected:< 10.0.14393.7876
Windows Server 2019Operating system
Affected:< 10.0.17763.7009
Windows Server 2022Operating system
Affected:< 10.0.20348.3328
Windows Server 2022 23h2Operating system
Affected:< 10.0.25398.1486
Windows Server 2025Operating system
Affected:< 10.0.26100.3476

CVSS 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
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check Windows Server version
    Run `winver` or `systeminfo | findstr /C:"OS Version"` to obtain the installed Windows Server version and build number
    Affected if The displayed version/build is lower than the threshold for your Windows Server edition (2016: <10.0.14393.7876, 2019: <10.0.17763.7009, 2022: <10.0.20348.3328, 2022 23h2: <10.0.25398.1486, 2025: <10.0.26100.3476)
  2. Confirm Windows Server edition
    Run `systeminfo` and note the "OS Name" field to determine if you are running Server 2016, 2019, 2022, 2022 23h2, or Server 2025
    Affected if The edition matches one of the affected versions listed above and the build number is below the corresponding threshold
  3. Verify build number via registry
    Query the registry key `HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion` using `reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion" /v CurrentBuildNumber` and compare against the thresholds
    Affected if The build number returned is lower than the threshold for your specific Server edition

You are affected if your Windows Server edition matches one of the affected versions AND the installed build number is below the corresponding security update threshold.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 10.0.14393.7876 / 10.0.17763.7009 / 10.0.20348.3328 or later
Fixed in 10.0.14393.787610.0.17763.700910.0.20348.3328
Interim mitigation

Apply the Microsoft security update for CVE-2025-25008 once released. Until then, restrict file system access permissions and monitor for suspicious symlink/junction creation activities.

Recommended fix High confidence

Apply the Microsoft security update for CVE-2025-25008 to reach the fixed build number for your Windows Server version (e.g., 10.0.14393.7876 for WS2016, 10.0.17763.7009 for WS2019, etc.)

  1. Identify the current Windows Server build version by running 'winver' or 'systeminfo'
  2. Open Windows Update by running 'ms-settings:windowsupdate' or use Windows Server Update Services (WSUS)
  3. Search for and install the security update corresponding to CVE-2025-25008 (released in the Microsoft security patch for the affected month)
  4. Alternatively, download the specific security update from the Microsoft Update Catalog using the KB number associated with CVE-2025-25008 for your Windows Server version
  5. Restart the server after applying the update
  6. Verify the build number matches or exceeds the fixed version: Windows Server 2016 should be 10.0.14393.7876 or later; Windows Server 2019 should be 10.0.17763.7009 or later; Windows Server 2022 should be 10.0.20348.3328 or later; Windows Server 2022 23h2 should be 10.0.25398.1486 or later; Windows Server 2025 should be 10.0.26100.3476 or later

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Windows Server 2016 Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
17.0 hours of engineering $3,050
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,880.

Scan for this in your stack

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dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-25008 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2025-25008 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • 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