CVE-2025-59261
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 · uneditedTime-of-check time-of-use (toctou) race condition in Microsoft Graphics Component 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 confidenceA time-of-check time-of-use (TOCTOU) race condition exists in a Microsoft Graphics Component, allowing a locally authorized attacker to exploit a timing window between checking a condition and using the result to elevate privileges to higher system levels.
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< 10.0.22621.6060<= 10.0.22631.6060< 10.0.26100.6899< 10.0.26200.6899< 10.0.20348.4294< 10.0.25398.1913<= 10.0.26100.6899CVSS 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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check Windows version and build numberOpen Command Prompt and run 'winver' to display the OS version and build, or run 'systeminfo | findstr /B /C:"OS Name" /C:"OS Version"' for detailed informationAffected if The displayed build number falls within any of these vulnerable ranges: Windows 11 22h2 < 10.0.22621.6060, Windows 11 23h2 <= 10.0.22631.6060, Windows 11 24h2 < 10.0.26100.6899, Windows 11 25h2 < 10.0.26200.6899, Windows Server 2022 < 10.0.20348.4294, Windows Server 2022 23h2 < 10.0.25398.1913, Wind
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Confirm exact build numberRun 'ver' in Command Prompt or check the 'Build' number shown in winver (the last number in the version string, for example 22621.6060)Affected if The build number is lower than the fixed version for your specific Windows edition and update channel shown above
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Identify Windows editionRun 'systeminfo | findstr /B /C:"OS Name"' to determine if the system is Windows 11, Windows Server 2022, or Windows Server 2025 and whether it is a Server Core or Desktop Experience installationAffected if The system is any of the affected editions listed in the CVE (Windows 11 22h2/23h2/24h2/25h2 or Windows Server 2022/2022 23h2/2025) and the build number is below the patched version
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Verify local attacker scenario appliesThis is a locally exploitable TOCTOU race condition requiring an authorized local user; check whether the system has local user accounts or allow local access (Remote Desktop, etc.)Affected if The system allows local user sessions or has multiple user accounts, providing a potential attacker the access needed to trigger the race condition in the graphics component
If the installed Windows build number is lower than the fixed version for your specific Windows edition (11 22h2/23h2/24h2/25h2 or Server 2022/2022 23h2/2025), the system is likely affected and should be patched.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 · scoped10.0.20348.429410.0.22621.606010.0.25398.1913
Apply Microsoft security updates for the Graphics Component once released; prioritize patching endpoints with direct user access where an authorized attacker could trigger the race condition.
Windows 11 22h2: KBXXXXXXX (build 10.0.22621.6060 or later) | Windows 11 23h2: KBXXXXXXX (build 10.0.22631.6061 or later) | Windows 11 24h2: KBXXXXXXX (build 10.0.26100.6899 or later) | Windows 11 25h2: KBXXXXXXX (build 10.0.26200.6899 or later) | Windows Server 2022: KBXXXXXXX (build 10.0.20348.429
- Open Windows Settings on the affected system
- Navigate to Windows Update (Settings > Windows Update)
- Click 'Check for updates' to download and install the latest security updates
- Verify the build number matches or exceeds the fixed version (e.g., 10.0.22621.6060 for Windows 11 22h2)
- Restart the system if prompted to complete the update installation
- Alternatively, manually install the specific KB patch from the Microsoft Update Catalog matching your Windows version
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,408.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-59261 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2025-59261 in production — separate from our analysis above.
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
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- 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
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