Guest-kernel privilege escalation via unsecured XenCons device
Published Jul 9, 2026 · Updated Jul 9, 2026
Incorrect default permissions in XenCons in Xen Project Windows PV Drivers 9.0.0 and later allow local users to gain guest-kernel privileges. The driver creates its user-exposed device without a security descriptor, leaving the XenCons facility fully accessible to unprivileged processes. An unprivileged account inside an affected Windows guest can use that access to execute with guest-kernel authority; the flaw does not cross the guest boundary.
Summary
What happened
Incorrect default permissions in XenCons in Xen Project Windows PV Drivers 9.0.0 and later allow local users to gain guest-kernel privileges. The driver creates its user-exposed device without a security descriptor, leaving the XenCons facility fully accessible to unprivileged processes. An unprivileged account inside an affected Windows guest can use that access to execute with guest-kernel authority; the flaw does not cross the guest boundary.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-27462
- Published
- Jul 9, 2026
- Updated
- Jul 9, 2026
- Vendor
- Xen Project
- Product
- Windows PV Drivers
- Classifications
- CWE-276, CAPEC-233, T1068
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jul 9, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Jul 9, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
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- Affected versionversion=all
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What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
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Public exploit references
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Technologies
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Your stack
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