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Windows 10 1507Operating system · Microsoft

CVE-2025-59254

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-10-14
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 10.0.10240.21161 / 10.0.14393.8519 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
Heap-based buffer overflow in Windows DWM Core Library 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

Heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability in the Windows Desktop Window Manager (DWM) Core Library enables a local authenticated attacker to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges by overflowing a heap-allocated buffer.

MitigationApply the Microsoft security update for CVE-2025-59254; restrict local user privileges and monitor for indicators of compromise.

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:< 10.0.10240.21161
Windows 10 1607Operating system
Affected:< 10.0.14393.8519
Windows 10 1809Operating system
Affected:< 10.0.17763.7919
Windows 10 21h2Operating system
Affected:< 10.0.19044.6456
Windows 10 22h2Operating system
Affected:< 10.0.19045.6456
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

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 10 version build number
    Run 'winver' or 'systeminfo | findstr /B /C:"OS Version"' and note the build number (e.g., 19045 for 22h2)
    Affected if Build number is less than 10240.21161 (1507), 14393.8519 (1607), 17763.7919 (1809), 19044.6456 (21h2), or 19045.6456 (22h2)
  2. Check Windows 11 version build number
    Run 'winver' or 'systeminfo' and note the build number under OS Version (e.g., 22621 for 22h2, 22631 for 23h2, 26100 for 24h2)
    Affected if Build number is less than 22621.6060 (22h2), or between 22631.0 and 22631.6060 inclusive (23h2), or less than 26100.6899 (24h2)
  3. Identify DWM Core Library file version
    Locate dwmcore.dll in C:\Windows\System32\ and view Properties > Details to see the File Version, or run 'powershell (Get-Item C:\Windows\System32\dwmcore.dll).VersionInfo.FileVersion'
    Affected if The dwmcore.dll file version is lower than the version bundled with the patched OS build for your Windows release
  4. Confirm DWM service is running
    Run 'services.msc' and verify the Desktop Window Manager Session Manager service status, or run 'sc query dwm'
    Affected if The DWM service is enabled and running - this is required for the vulnerable code path to be active

You are affected if your Windows build number falls within any of the vulnerable version ranges listed for your Windows release, and the DWM service is running.

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 10.0.10240.21161 / 10.0.14393.8519 / 10.0.17763.7919 or later
Fixed in 10.0.10240.2116110.0.14393.851910.0.17763.7919
Interim mitigation

Apply the Microsoft security update for CVE-2025-59254; restrict local user privileges and monitor for indicators of compromise.

Recommended fix High confidence

Apply Windows security updates; for specific builds: Windows 10 1507 >= 10.0.10240.21161 | Windows 10 1607 >= 10.0.14393.8519 | Windows 10 1809 >= 10.0.17763.7919 | Windows 10 21h2 >= 10.0.19044.6456 | Windows 10 22h2 >= 10.0.19045.6456 | Windows 11 22h2 >= 10.0.22621.6060 | Windows 11 23h2 >= 10.0.

  1. Open Windows Settings by pressing Win+I
  2. Navigate to Update & Security > Windows Update
  3. Click Check for updates to download and install the latest security updates
  4. Ensure the update includes the security patch for CVE-2025-59254
  5. Restart the computer if prompted to complete the installation
  6. Verify the installed Windows version matches or exceeds the fixed release version for your build (e.g., Windows 10 22h2 should be >= 10.0.19045.6456)
Caveat Standard Windows update apply; some legacy builds (1507, 1607, 1809) may have limited support lifecycle remaining

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
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA3.0 h
16.0 hours of engineering $2,760
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,416.

Scan for this in your stack

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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-2025-59254 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