CVE-2025-53779Public exploitNetwork attack vector

Domain takeover via unvalidated dMSA successor link

Published Aug 12, 2025 · Updated Feb 26, 2026

Relative path traversal in Windows Server 2025 Kerberos before 10.0.26100.4946 allows remote authenticated users to gain Domain Admin privileges. The KDC trusts a one-way msDS-ManagedAccountPrecededByLink value on an attacker-controlled dMSA and builds its PAC from the linked account. Control of any organizational unit is sufficient to create and link the dMSA, enabling impersonation of a Domain Admin or other principal.

CVSS severity7.2
High
EPSS probability2.60%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
Coverage for this vulnerability

See if you're affected

Explore vulnerability checks for your environment with Hinoki.

Book a demo

Summary

What happened

Relative path traversal in Windows Server 2025 Kerberos before 10.0.26100.4946 allows remote authenticated users to gain Domain Admin privileges. The KDC trusts a one-way msDS-ManagedAccountPrecededByLink value on an attacker-controlled dMSA and builds its PAC from the linked account. Control of any organizational unit is sufficient to create and link the dMSA, enabling impersonation of a Domain Admin or other principal.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-53779
Published
Aug 12, 2025
Updated
Feb 26, 2026
Vendor
Microsoft
Product
Windows Server 2025 (Server Core installation)
Classifications
CWE-23, T1098
Attack vector
network
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Aug 12, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Feb 26, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.

Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=10.0.26100.0 <10.0.26100.4946

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Microsoft · Windows Server 2025 (Server Core installation)version=10.0.26100.0 <10.0.26100.4946
Microsoft · Windows Server 2025version=10.0.26100.0 <10.0.26100.4946

Published CVSS scores

7.2MicrosoftCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-23Relative Path Traversal
T1098Account Manipulation

Public exploit references

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

See the directory against your own environment.

Your stack

Check the software in your environment

Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.

Book a demo