SYSTEM code execution via unchecked kernel write
Published Aug 12, 2025 · Updated Feb 13, 2026
Privilege escalation in Microsoft Windows allows local users to execute code as SYSTEM through Cloud Files placeholder creation. HsmpOpCreatePlaceholders locks a user-supplied buffer with IoReadAccess but later writes file metadata and status values through that buffer without verifying write access. A low-privileged local account can map a read-only file at the target address, corrupt arbitrary files, and redirect privileged execution.
Summary
What happened
Privilege escalation in Microsoft Windows allows local users to execute code as SYSTEM through Cloud Files placeholder creation. HsmpOpCreatePlaceholders locks a user-supplied buffer with IoReadAccess but later writes file metadata and status values through that buffer without verifying write access. A low-privileged local account can map a read-only file at the target address, corrupt arbitrary files, and redirect privileged execution.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-50170
- Published
- Aug 12, 2025
- Updated
- Feb 13, 2026
- Vendor
- Microsoft
- Product
- Windows Server 2019
- Classifications
- CWE-280, T1068
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Aug 12, 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=10.0.17763.0 <10.0.17763.7678
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
- STAR Labs arbitrary-file-write proof of conceptproof of concept · demonstrated
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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