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Uncontrolled Search Path (DLL Hijack)Weakness · CWE-427

CVE-2025-7676

MEDIUM · 5.4 CVSS v4.0 Published 2025-07-28
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
54/100
Remediation priority · Moderate

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
DLL hijacking of all PE32 executables when run on Windows for ARM64 CPU architecture. This allows an attacker to execute code, if the attacker can plant a DLL in the same directory as the executable. Vulnerable versions of Windows 11 for ARM attempt to load Base DLLs that would ordinarily not be loaded from the application directory. Fixed in release 24H2, but present in all earlier versions of Windows 11 for ARM CPUs.

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

Windows 11 for ARM64 contains a DLL hijacking vulnerability where the OS incorrectly attempts to load Base DLLs from the application directory instead of using secure system paths. An attacker who can plant a malicious DLL in the same directory as any PE32 executable can achieve arbitrary code execution when that executable is run.

MitigationUpgrade to Windows 11 24H2 or later. As a workaround, ensure executables are not run from directories writable by untrusted users and monitor for unauthorized DLLs in application directories.

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

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
Authentication
X
User interaction
A
Scope
X

CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:A/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X

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. Confirm system is Windows 11 ARM64
    Run 'systeminfo' in Command Prompt or PowerShell and look for 'OS Name: Microsoft Windows 11' and 'Processor(s): ARM' or run 'msinfo32' and check System Type
    Affected if The system is running Windows 11 on ARM64 architecture
  2. Check Windows build version
    Run 'winver' or 'systeminfo | findstr /B /C:"Build Number"' and compare the build to 26100 or higher (24H2 corresponds to build 26100+)
    Affected if The build number is below 26100 (pre-24H2)
  3. Identify executables run from user-writable directories
    Review startup items, shortcuts, and frequently used applications. Check if any PE32 executables are launched from directories like Downloads, Documents, or network shares accessible to other users
    Affected if Executables are run from directories writable by untrusted or multiple users
  4. Scan for unauthorized DLLs in application directories
    Use File Explorer or 'dir /s *.dll' to list DLLs in directories containing executables, especially non-system directories. Compare against expected DLLs for those applications
    Affected if Unexpected or unknown DLL files exist in directories alongside executables, particularly in user-writable locations
  5. Check for DLLs with names matching system Base DLLs
    In application directories, look for DLLs with names like kernel32.dll, user32.dll, gdi32.dll, or other Windows system DLLs that are not legitimate components of those applications
    Affected if System Base DLLs are present in application directories where they should not exist

A user is affected if they are running Windows 11 on ARM64 with a build number below 26100 AND have executables that run from directories writable by untrusted users, where malicious DLLs could be planted.

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
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Upgrade to Windows 11 24H2 or later. As a workaround, ensure executables are not run from directories writable by untrusted users and monitor for unauthorized DLLs in application directories.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Windows 11 version 24H2 (2024 Update)

  1. Open Settings > System > About to check your current Windows version
  2. Ensure your device meets the Windows 11 24H2 system requirements (compatible ARM64 processor, sufficient disk space, TPM 2.0)
  3. Back up important data before initiating the upgrade
  4. Open Settings > Windows Update and check for updates
  5. Install the Windows 11 2024 Update (version 24H2) when available
  6. Restart your device to complete the installation
  7. Verify the upgrade was successful by checking the Windows version (should show 24H2 or newer)
Caveat Review application compatibility before upgrading; some older ARM64 applications may need updates

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

Have this fixed 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
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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-2025-7676 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
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  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data