CVE-2025-61973Public exploit

SYSTEM code execution via replaceable temporary DLL

Published Jan 15, 2026 · Updated Jan 15, 2026

Local privilege escalation in Epic Games Store 14.6.2.0 allows local users to execute code as SYSTEM during Microsoft Store installation. DXSETUP.exe 4.9.0.0904 creates a standard-user-writable temporary directory, writes dxupdate.dll there, and later loads that file while running as SYSTEM. Exploitation requires low-privilege local access and replacement of dxupdate.dll before loading, after which attacker-controlled code runs with SYSTEM privileges.

CVSS severity8.8
High
EPSS probability0.16%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Local privilege escalation in Epic Games Store 14.6.2.0 allows local users to execute code as SYSTEM during Microsoft Store installation. DXSETUP.exe 4.9.0.0904 creates a standard-user-writable temporary directory, writes dxupdate.dll there, and later loads that file while running as SYSTEM. Exploitation requires low-privilege local access and replacement of dxupdate.dll before loading, after which attacker-controlled code runs with SYSTEM privileges.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-61973
Published
Jan 15, 2026
Updated
Jan 15, 2026
Vendor
Epic Games
Product
Epic Games Store
Classifications
CWE-284, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jan 15, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Jan 15, 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=14.6.2.0

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Epic Games · Epic Games Storeversion=14.6.2.0

Published CVSS scores

8.8Cisco TalosCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/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.

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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 exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-284Improper Access Control
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

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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