Local privilege escalation via untrusted search path
Published Nov 11, 2025 · Updated Feb 26, 2026
Privilege escalation in Microsoft Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2 allows local users to gain elevated privileges through an untrusted search path. Windows Administrator Protection resolves a critical resource through an attacker-influenced search path; Microsoft has not disclosed the specific resource or code locus. Exploitation requires low local privileges and no user interaction, and the affected feature is disabled by default.
Summary
What happened
Privilege escalation in Microsoft Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2 allows local users to gain elevated privileges through an untrusted search path. Windows Administrator Protection resolves a critical resource through an attacker-influenced search path; Microsoft has not disclosed the specific resource or code locus. Exploitation requires low local privileges and no user interaction, and the affected feature is disabled by default.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-60718
- Published
- Nov 11, 2025
- Updated
- Feb 26, 2026
- Vendor
- Microsoft
- Product
- Windows 11, version 25H2
- Classifications
- CWE-426, T1574.008
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Nov 11, 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=10.0.26200.0 <10.0.26200.7171
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.
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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