CVE-2025-59241

Local privilege escalation via improper link resolution

Published Oct 14, 2025 · Updated Feb 26, 2026

Link-following in Microsoft Windows Health and Optimized Experiences Service allows local users to elevate privileges via crafted links. The service resolves a link before privileged file access without preventing it from reaching an unintended resource; Microsoft has not disclosed the specific file operation. Exploitation requires existing low-privilege local access and can cross the service's privilege boundary to gain elevated privileges.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.34%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Link-following in Microsoft Windows Health and Optimized Experiences Service allows local users to elevate privileges via crafted links. The service resolves a link before privileged file access without preventing it from reaching an unintended resource; Microsoft has not disclosed the specific file operation. Exploitation requires existing low-privilege local access and can cross the service's privilege boundary to gain elevated privileges.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-59241
Published
Oct 14, 2025
Updated
Feb 26, 2026
Vendor
Microsoft
Product
Windows 11, version 25H2
Classifications
CWE-59, CAPEC-132, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Oct 14, 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

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Is a vulnerable build present?

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

  1. Affected versionversion=10.0.26200.0 <10.0.26200.6899

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Microsoft · Windows 11, version 25H2version=10.0.26200.0 <10.0.26200.6899
Microsoft · Windows 11, version 24H2version=10.0.26100.0 <10.0.26100.6899

Published CVSS scores

7.8Microsoft CorporationCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/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 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-59Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')
CAPEC-132Symlink Attack
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

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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