dbcve.org
Windows 10 1507Operating system · Microsoft

CVE-2025-33075

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-06-10
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 10.0.10240.21034 / 10.0.14393.8148 or later.
See remediation →
80/100
Remediation priority · High
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 Windows Installer 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 · high confidence

This is a link following (symlink attack) vulnerability in Windows Installer where the installer does not properly resolve symbolic links before accessing files. An authorized local attacker can exploit this to manipulate file access paths and elevate privileges to higher integrity levels.

MitigationApply the Microsoft security update (KB) for CVE-2025-33075 to all affected Windows systems. As a compensating control, restrict write access to directories used by Windows Installer (%TEMP%, installation directories) and monitor for suspicious symlink creation.

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 10 1507Operating system
Affected:< 10.0.10240.21034
Windows 10 1607Operating system
Affected:< 10.0.14393.8148
Windows 10 1809Operating system
Affected:< 10.0.17763.7434
Windows 10 21h2Operating system
Affected:< 10.0.19044.5965
Windows 10 22h2Operating system
Affected:< 10.0.19045.5965
Windows 11 22h2Operating system
Affected:< 10.0.22621.5472
Windows 11 23h2Operating system
Affected:< 10.0.22631.5472
Windows 11 24h2Operating system
Affected:< 10.0.26100.4270

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
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/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 checks

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

  1. Check Windows build version
    Run 'winver' or 'systeminfo | findstr /B /C:"OS Version"' to obtain the build number. Alternatively, query the registry: reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion" /v CurrentBuildNumber
    Affected if The build number is lower than 10240.21034 (Win10 1507), 14393.8148 (Win10 1607), 17763.7434 (Win10 1809), 19044.5965 (Win10 21h2/22h2), 22621.5472 (Win11 22h2), 22631.5472 (Win11 23h2), or 26100.4270 (Win11 24h2)
  2. Identify symbolic links in the user TEMP directory
    Open a command prompt and run 'dir %TEMP% /AL /S' to list all symbolic links and junction points in the temp directory. Review any links that point to sensitive system locations
    Affected if Unauthorized symbolic links exist in %TEMP% that point to protected directories (such as System32, Program Files, or the Windows directory) and were not created by legitimate software installations
  3. Check Program Files directories for unexpected symbolic links
    Run 'dir "C:\Program Files" /AL /S' and 'dir "C:\Program Files (x86)" /AL /S' to enumerate symbolic links and junctions in installation directories
    Affected if Symbolic links are present in Program Files directories that target locations outside the expected installation hierarchy or point to user-writable directories
  4. Review Windows Installer event logs for symlink-related failures
    Open Event Viewer, navigate to Application and Services Logs > Microsoft > Windows > MSI-Installer, and look for entries with error codes related to path resolution or file access failures
    Affected if Windows Installer logs show repeated path resolution errors or attempts to access files through symbolic links in unexpected locations
  5. Audit recent modifications to mount point junctions
    Use 'fsutil volume queryall' to list all volumes, then run 'fsutil volume dumpmountpoints' on each to identify any junctions. Compare against a known-good baseline or look for recently created junctions in system directories
    Affected if Mount point junctions exist in system directories (such as the Windows directory or Program Files) that were not documented or authorized

The system is likely affected if the Windows build version is below the fixed versions AND suspicious symbolic links or junctions are found in %TEMP% or installation directories.

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 10.0.10240.21034 / 10.0.14393.8148 / 10.0.17763.7434 or later
Fixed in 10.0.10240.2103410.0.14393.814810.0.17763.7434
Interim mitigation

Apply the Microsoft security update (KB) for CVE-2025-33075 to all affected Windows systems. As a compensating control, restrict write access to directories used by Windows Installer (%TEMP%, installation directories) and monitor for suspicious symlink creation.

Recommended fix High confidence

Apply Microsoft security update for CVE-2025-33075 (monthly patch containing the fix, such as the May 2025 security update)

  1. Open Windows Update Settings (Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update)
  2. Click 'Check for updates' to download and install the latest security updates
  3. Ensure the update labeled with CVE-2025-33075 or the corresponding monthly security patch is installed
  4. Restart the system if prompted to complete the installation
  5. Verify the installed build version matches or exceeds the fixed version for your Windows release (e.g., Windows 10 22h2 should be at least 10.0.19045.5965)
Caveat Standard Windows security update risks - ensure compatibility testing for mission-critical systems before broad deployment

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

Fix this in Windows 10 1507 Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
15.0 hours of engineering $2,640
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Scan for this in your stack

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dbcve dependency scanner

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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-2025-33075 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