Privilege escalation via untrusted search path
Published Jan 17, 2025 · Updated Jun 9, 2026
Untrusted search path handling in Microsoft Edge Update before 1.3.195.43 allows local users to elevate privileges. Microsoft identifies CWE-426 but has not disclosed the executable, library, or path whose lookup accepts an attacker-controlled location. Exploitation requires local access and high-complexity conditions; successful execution runs attacker-controlled code with the updater's privileges.
Summary
What happened
Untrusted search path handling in Microsoft Edge Update before 1.3.195.43 allows local users to elevate privileges. Microsoft identifies CWE-426 but has not disclosed the executable, library, or path whose lookup accepts an attacker-controlled location. Exploitation requires local access and high-complexity conditions; successful execution runs attacker-controlled code with the updater's privileges.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-21399
- Published
- Jan 17, 2025
- Updated
- Jun 9, 2026
- Vendor
- Microsoft
- Product
- Microsoft Edge Update
- Classifications
- CWE-426, T1574
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jan 17, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Jun 9, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=1.0.0.0 <1.3.195.43
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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.
Public exploit references
No public exploit references are available in this record.
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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