Sql Server Management StudioApplication · Microsoft

CVE-2025-29803

HIGH · 7.3 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-04-12

Fix available

A fix is available. Upgrade to 16.0.35907.0 / 17.0.35906.0 or later.

See remediation →

73/100

Remediation priority · Elevated

Official description

NVD · unedited

Uncontrolled search path element in Visual Studio Tools for Applications and SQL Server Management Studio allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.

Technical summary

dbcve analysis · moderate confidence

This is a local privilege escalation vulnerability caused by an uncontrolled search path element in Visual Studio Tools for Applications and SQL Server Management Studio. The applications load DLLs or other resources from locations that can be manipulated by an authenticated attacker, allowing them to inject malicious code and escalate privileges to higher permission levels.

MitigationApply Microsoft security updates for Visual Studio Tools for Applications and SQL Server Management Studio when released. Prioritize patching systems where these applications are installed, as the attacker requires local access but can achieve privilege escalation.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions

NVD · CPE data

Sql Server Management StudioApplication

Affected:< 20.2.1

Visual Studio Tools For Applications 2019Application

Affected:< 16.0.35907.0

Visual Studio Tools For Applications 2019 SdkApplication

Affected:< 16.0.35907.0

Visual Studio Tools For Applications 2022Application

Affected:< 17.0.35906.0

Visual Studio Tools For Applications 2022 SdkApplication

Affected:< 17.0.35906.0

CVSS breakdown

From the vector

Attack vector: Local
Complexity: Low
Privileges: Low
User interaction: Required
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: High
Integrity: High
Availability: High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Am I affected?

dbcve checks

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

Check SQL Server Management Studio version

Open SSMS and go to Help > About, or check the installed version in Add/Remove Programs. The executable is typically located at C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio 19\Common7\IDE\Ssms.exe

Affected if Installed version is lower than 20.2.1
Check Visual Studio Tools for Applications 2019 version

Check the installed version in Add/Remove Programs or locate the executable (typically at C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2019\VSTASDK\ or C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2019\VSTA\). Check the assembly version of VSTAHost.exe or VSTA.exe

Affected if Installed version is lower than 16.0.35907.0
Check Visual Studio Tools for Applications 2022 version

Check the installed version in Add/Remove Programs or locate the executable (typically at C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\VSTASDK\ or C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\VSTA\). Check the assembly version of VSTAHost.exe or VSTA.exe

Affected if Installed version is lower than 17.0.35906.0
Check for Visual Studio Tools for Applications SDK installations

In Add/Remove Programs, look for entries named 'Microsoft Visual Studio Tools for Applications 2019 SDK' or 'Microsoft Visual Studio Tools for Applications 2022 SDK' and note their versions

Affected if SDK version is lower than 16.0.35907.0 (2019) or 17.0.35906.0 (2022)

A user is affected if any of these products are installed with versions below the thresholds (20.2.1 for SSMS, 16.0.35907.0 for VSTA 2019, or 17.0.35906.0 for VSTA 2022), as the uncontrolled search path vulnerability exists in those unpatched versions.

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

Remediation

dbcve · scoped

Upgrade available Upgrade to 16.0.35907.0 / 17.0.35906.0 / 20.2.1 or later

Fixed in 16.0.35907.017.0.35906.020.2.1

Interim mitigation

Apply Microsoft security updates for Visual Studio Tools for Applications and SQL Server Management Studio when released. Prioritize patching systems where these applications are installed, as the attacker requires local access but can achieve privilege escalation.

Recommended fix High confidence

SQL Server Management Studio 20.2.1 | Visual Studio Tools for Applications 2019 version 16.0.35907.0 | Visual Studio Tools for Applications 2022 version 17.0.35906.0

Identify which affected product(s) are installed: SQL Server Management Studio, Visual Studio Tools for Applications 2019, Visual Studio Tools for Applications 2019 SDK, Visual Studio Tools for Applications 2022, or Visual Studio Tools for Applications 2022 SDK
For SQL Server Management Studio: Download and install version 20.2.1 or later from the official Microsoft SQL Server download center
For Visual Studio Tools for Applications 2019: Update to version 16.0.35907.0 or later via Visual Studio Installer or Windows Update
For Visual Studio Tools for Applications 2019 SDK: Update to version 16.0.35907.0 or later through your Visual Studio distribution channel
For Visual Studio Tools for Applications 2022: Update to version 17.0.35906.0 or later via Visual Studio Installer or Windows Update
For Visual Studio Tools for Applications 2022 SDK: Update to version 17.0.35906.0 or later through your Visual Studio distribution channel
Restart any running instances of the affected applications after updating

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

Fix this in Sql Server Management Studio Scoped from the published advisory

Consultation4.0 h
Implementation8.0 h
Testing4.0 h
Review / QA2.0 h

18.0 hours of engineering $3,200

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Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally

dbcve dependency scanner

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References

Primary sources

msrc.microsoft.comVendor Advisory
nvd.nist.govNVD record

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2025-29803 in production — separate from our analysis above.

Notes0 Guidelines

Know something about CVE-2025-29803?

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

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

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

At a glance

A fix existsUpgrade to 16.0.35907.0 / 17.0.35906.0 or later

Severity 7.3 High

Exploit likelihood EPSS, next 30 days 0.7%

Affects: Sql Server Management Studio

Remediation

Need this fixed?

Fix this in Sql Server Management Studio 18 hrs · Moderate

Typical engagement from $3,200

Get a fix See the full breakdown ↓

We specialise in CVE remediation. Send your environment and we’ll scope CVE-2025-29803 and return a fixed quote.

You’ll deal with our team directly and deploy the reviewed fix to staging first — never straight to production.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Check your environment

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.

Scan for this in your stack

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

Practitioner notes

No notes yet

Official description

Technical summary

Affected products & versions

CVSS breakdown

Am I affected?

Remediation

References