Local privilege escalation via uncontrolled search path
Published Mar 11, 2025 · Updated Feb 13, 2026
Uncontrolled search path handling in Microsoft Visual Studio affected releases allows local users to elevate privileges. Microsoft has not published the affected executable, searched directory sequence, or operation that loads an attacker-controlled file. Exploitation requires low privileges and user interaction, and successful execution grants elevated local privileges within the affected Windows system.
Summary
What happened
Uncontrolled search path handling in Microsoft Visual Studio affected releases allows local users to elevate privileges. Microsoft has not published the affected executable, searched directory sequence, or operation that loads an attacker-controlled file. Exploitation requires low privileges and user interaction, and successful execution grants elevated local privileges within the affected Windows system.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-25003
- Published
- Mar 11, 2025
- Updated
- Feb 13, 2026
- Vendor
- Microsoft
- Product
- Microsoft Visual Studio 2019
- Classifications
- CWE-427, T1574.008
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Mar 11, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Feb 13, 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=16.11.0 <16.11.45
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
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.
Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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