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Windows 11 22h2Operating system · Microsoft

CVE-2025-59194

HIGH · 7.0 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-10-14
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 10.0.22621.6060 / 10.0.25398.1913 or later.
See remediation →
72/100
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
Use of uninitialized resource in Windows Kernel 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 use-of-uninitialized resource vulnerability exists in the Windows Kernel that allows a locally authenticated attacker to elevate their privileges to higher permission levels. The attacker must have existing local access to the system to exploit this kernel-level flaw.

MitigationApply the Microsoft security update for CVE-2025-59194 through Windows Update or Microsoft Update Catalog once released. Prioritize patching systems with direct user access or those exposed to potential local attackers.

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 11 22h2Operating system
Affected:< 10.0.22621.6060
Windows 11 23h2Operating system
Affected:<= 10.0.22631.6060
Windows 11 24h2Operating system
Affected:< 10.0.26100.6899
Windows 11 25h2Operating system
Affected:< 10.0.26200.6899
Windows Server 2022 23h2Operating system
Affected:< 10.0.25398.1913
Windows Server 2025Operating system
Affected:<= 10.0.26100.6899

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

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/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. Identify Windows version and build number
    Run 'winver' from the command line or execute 'systeminfo | findstr /B /C:"OS Name" /C:"OS Version"' to display the installed Windows version and build number (the 10.0.xxxxx.xxxx format)
    Affected if The displayed build number falls within any of the vulnerable version ranges: < 10.0.22621.6060 (Win11 22h2), <= 10.0.22631.6060 (Win11 23h2), < 10.0.26100.6899 (Win11 24h2), < 10.0.26200.6899 (Win11 25h2), < 10.0.25398.1913 (Server 2022 23h2), or <= 10.0.26100.6899 (Server 2025)
  2. Confirm Windows edition type
    Check if the system is Windows 11 or Windows Server 2022/2025 by reviewing the OS name from step 1, as the affected version ranges differ between client and server editions
    Affected if The system is running Windows 11 (any release) or Windows Server 2022/2025 and the build number matches the vulnerable ranges from step 1
  3. Verify kernel file version (optional confirmation)
    Right-click 'ntoskrnl.exe' in C:\Windows\System32, select Properties, then view the File version field; alternatively run 'wmic datafile where "name='C:\\\\Windows\\\\System32\\\\ntoskrnl.exe'" get Version'
    Affected if The kernel file version matches a build number that falls within the vulnerable ranges listed in step 1

A system is affected if it runs Windows 11 22h2/23h2/24h2/25h2 or Windows Server 2022 23h2/2025 and the installed build number is lower than or equal to the specific thresholds listed in the affected version ranges.

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 10.0.22621.6060 / 10.0.25398.1913 / 10.0.26100.6899 or later
Fixed in 10.0.22621.606010.0.25398.191310.0.26100.6899
Interim mitigation

Apply the Microsoft security update for CVE-2025-59194 through Windows Update or Microsoft Update Catalog once released. Prioritize patching systems with direct user access or those exposed to potential local attackers.

Recommended fix High confidence

Install the appropriate Windows security update for your version (KB5055523 or subsequent relevant security patch for November 2025 or later)

  1. Check current Windows version by running `winver` or `systeminfo | findstr /B /C:"OS Name" /C:"OS Version"`
  2. Navigate to Windows Update Settings (Settings > Windows Update)
  3. Click 'Check for updates' to install the latest Microsoft security patches
  4. Alternatively, manually download the security update from the Microsoft Update Catalog (catalog.update.microsoft.com) searching for CVE-2025-59194
  5. After installation, restart the system to complete the patch
  6. Verify the patch is installed by checking Windows Update history for the corresponding KB article
Caveat Standard Windows patch installation - may require reboot and could include other cumulative updates

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

Fix this in Windows 11 22h2 Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation1.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
6.0 hours of engineering $1,060
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,696.

Scan for this in your stack

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dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-59194 — 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-2025-59194 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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