CVE-2025-0289Known exploitation

SYSTEM privilege escalation via unvalidated firmware pointer

Published Mar 3, 2025 · Updated Sep 9, 2025

Insecure kernel resource access in BioNTdrv.sys in Paragon Software products allows local users to gain SYSTEM privileges. BioNTdrv.sys passes an unvalidated MappedSystemVa pointer to HalReturnToFirmware, allowing the call to act on attacker-controlled kernel state. Local access to the Windows device and low privileges are required; successful exploitation elevates code to SYSTEM.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.33%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationReported
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Insecure kernel resource access in BioNTdrv.sys in Paragon Software products allows local users to gain SYSTEM privileges. BioNTdrv.sys passes an unvalidated MappedSystemVa pointer to HalReturnToFirmware, allowing the call to act on attacker-controlled kernel state. Local access to the Windows device and low privileges are required; successful exploitation elevates code to SYSTEM.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-0289
Published
Mar 3, 2025
Updated
Sep 9, 2025
Vendor
Paragon Software Group
Product
Backup & Recovery
Classifications
CWE-1287, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Mar 3, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Sep 9, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=15 <=17.39

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Paragon Software Group · Backup & Recoveryversion=15 <=17.39
Paragon Software Group · Drive Copyversion=15 <=16
Paragon Software Group · Migrate OS to SSDversion=4 <=5
Paragon Software Group · Disk Wiperversion=15 <=16
Paragon Software Group · Partition Managerversion=15 <=17.39
Paragon Software Group · Hard Disk Managerversion=15 <=17.39

Published CVSS scores

7.8CISA ADPCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationReported
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-1287Improper Validation of Specified Type of Input
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Reported exploitation

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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