Local privilege escalation via NTFS race condition
Published Jul 8, 2025 · Updated Feb 26, 2026
Privilege escalation in Microsoft Windows NTFS allows local users with low privileges to gain SYSTEM access by winning a race condition. The public record identifies improper synchronization leading to a null pointer dereference in NTFS, but Microsoft has not disclosed the affected routine or attacker-controlled operation. Exploitation requires local low-privilege access and winning a high-complexity race; success compromises the host at SYSTEM scope.
Summary
What happened
Privilege escalation in Microsoft Windows NTFS allows local users with low privileges to gain SYSTEM access by winning a race condition. The public record identifies improper synchronization leading to a null pointer dereference in NTFS, but Microsoft has not disclosed the affected routine or attacker-controlled operation. Exploitation requires local low-privilege access and winning a high-complexity race; success compromises the host at SYSTEM scope.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-49678
- Published
- Jul 8, 2025
- Updated
- Feb 26, 2026
- Vendor
- Microsoft
- Product
- Windows 10 Version 1507
- Classifications
- CWE-476, CWE-362, T1068
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jul 8, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Feb 26, 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=10.0.10240.0 <10.0.10240.21073
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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