dbcve.org
Windows 11 23h2Operating system · Microsoft

CVE-2026-25184

HIGH · 7.0 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-04-14
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 10.0.22631.6936 / 10.0.25398.2274 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
Concurrent execution using shared resource with improper synchronization ('race condition') in Applocker Filter Driver (applockerfltr.sys) 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 race condition vulnerability exists in the Applocker Filter Driver (applockerfltr.sys) where improper synchronization in concurrent execution allows an authenticated local attacker to escalate privileges. This kernel-mode driver flaw enables manipulation of shared resources to achieve privilege elevation from a lower-privileged account to elevated system or administrative access.

MitigationApply the vendor-supplied patch for applockerfltr.sys when available. Until then, limit local administrative access, monitor for suspicious process activity, and consider disabling Applocker policy if non-essential to reduce the attack surface.

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 23h2Operating system
Affected:< 10.0.22631.6936
Windows 11 24h2Operating system
Affected:< 10.0.26100.8246
Windows 11 25h2Operating system
Affected:< 10.0.26200.8246
Windows 11 26h1Operating system
Affected:< 10.0.28000.1836
Windows Server 2022 23h2Operating system
Affected:< 10.0.25398.2274
Windows Server 2025Operating system
Affected:< 10.0.26100.32690

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. Check Windows version against affected ranges
    Run 'winver' or 'systeminfo | findstr /B /C:"OS Name" /C:"OS Version"' to obtain the exact Windows build number, then compare to the vulnerable version thresholds: 23h2 requires <22631.6936, 24h2 requires <26100.8246, 25h2 requires <26200.8246, 26h1 requires <28000.1836, Server 2022 23h2 requires <25398.2274, Server 2025 requires <26100.32690
    Affected if The installed Windows build number falls below the specified threshold for the corresponding version branch
  2. Verify applockerfltr.sys driver presence
    Check if the driver file exists at C:\Windows\System32\drivers\applockerfltr.sys or query loaded drivers using 'driverquery /v | findstr applockerfltr'
    Affected if The applockerfltr.sys driver file exists on the system
  3. Confirm Applocker policy is enabled
    Run 'Get-AppLockerPolicy -Effective' in PowerShell with admin privileges, or check Group Policy at Computer Configuration\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Application Control Policies\Applocker
    Affected if Applocker policy is configured and enabled, which loads the vulnerable driver into kernel mode

The system is affected if it runs a Windows version below the specified threshold AND has the applockerfltr.sys driver loaded via enabled Applocker policy, allowing an authenticated local attacker to exploit the race condition for privilege escalation.

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 10.0.22631.6936 / 10.0.25398.2274 / 10.0.26100.8246 or later
Fixed in 10.0.22631.693610.0.25398.227410.0.26100.8246
Interim mitigation

Apply the vendor-supplied patch for applockerfltr.sys when available. Until then, limit local administrative access, monitor for suspicious process activity, and consider disabling Applocker policy if non-essential to reduce the attack surface.

Recommended fix High confidence

Windows 11 23h2 build 10.0.22631.6936+, Windows 11 24h2 build 10.0.26100.8246+, Windows 11 25h2 build 10.0.26200.8246+, Windows 11 26h1 build 10.0.28000.1836+, Windows Server 2022 23h2 build 10.0.25398.2274+, Windows Server 2025 build 10.0.26100.32690+

  1. Identify the current Windows build version by running 'winver' or 'systeminfo' in Command Prompt
  2. Determine which Windows version (23h2, 24h2, 25h2, 26h1) and build number corresponds to your system
  3. For Windows 11 23h2: upgrade to build 10.0.22631.6936 or later
  4. For Windows 11 24h2: upgrade to build 10.0.26100.8246 or later
  5. For Windows 11 25h2: upgrade to build 10.0.26200.8246 or later
  6. For Windows 11 26h1: upgrade to build 10.0.28000.1836 or later
  7. For Windows Server 2022 23h2: upgrade to build 10.0.25398.2274 or later
  8. For Windows Server 2025: upgrade to build 10.0.26100.32690 or later
Caveat Standard Windows update; no expected breaking changes for this security patch

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

Fix this in Windows 11 23h2 Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing12.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
28.0 hours of engineering $4,760
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $7,616.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2026-25184 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

Get it on GitHub Scan in the browser

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-2026-25184 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