Local privilege escalation via SYSTEM symlink deletion
Published Feb 23, 2026 · Updated Feb 23, 2026
Privilege escalation in Tencent iOA before 210.9.28693.62001 on Windows allows local users to execute programs with elevated privileges. The SYSTEM-level LegacyKB_ioa_win.exe process deletes tilde-prefixed directories inside the user-modifiable C:\Windows\Temp\TencentDownload path without resolving reparse targets. A local user must win an OpLock race and replace the directory with a junction and symbolic link, turning privileged cleanup into arbitrary file or folder deletion and elevated code execution.
Summary
What happened
Privilege escalation in Tencent iOA before 210.9.28693.62001 on Windows allows local users to execute programs with elevated privileges. The SYSTEM-level LegacyKB_ioa_win.exe process deletes tilde-prefixed directories inside the user-modifiable C:\Windows\Temp\TencentDownload path without resolving reparse targets. A local user must win an OpLock race and replace the directory with a junction and symbolic link, turning privileged cleanup into arbitrary file or folder deletion and elevated code execution.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-63945
- Published
- Feb 23, 2026
- Updated
- Feb 23, 2026
- Vendor
- Unknown vendor
- Product
- Unknown product
- Classifications
- CWE-59, T1068
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- Unavailable
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Feb 23, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Feb 23, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Affected products and versions are unavailable in this record.
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
- CVE-2025-63945 Tencent iOA EoPproof of concept · demonstrated
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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