SYSTEM privilege escalation via writable program directories
Published Dec 11, 2025 · Updated Dec 11, 2025
Local privilege escalation in Microsoft Windows Admin Center before 2.6.5.16 allows local users to execute code as SYSTEM. The WindowsAdminCenter installation grants standard users write access to C:\ProgramData\WindowsAdminCenter, where privileged extension removal and updater processes execute scripts or load DLLs. A low-privileged local account can replace a signed uninstall script or win a DLL validation race, causing attacker-controlled code to run as NETWORK SERVICE or SYSTEM.
Summary
What happened
Local privilege escalation in Microsoft Windows Admin Center before 2.6.5.16 allows local users to execute code as SYSTEM. The WindowsAdminCenter installation grants standard users write access to C:\ProgramData\WindowsAdminCenter, where privileged extension removal and updater processes execute scripts or load DLLs. A low-privileged local account can replace a signed uninstall script or win a DLL validation race, causing attacker-controlled code to run as NETWORK SERVICE or SYSTEM.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-64669
- Published
- Dec 11, 2025
- Updated
- Dec 11, 2025
- Vendor
- Microsoft
- Product
- Windows Admin Center
- Classifications
- CWE-284, T1574.001
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Dec 11, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Dec 11, 2025Record 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=1809.0 <2.6.2.6
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.
Public exploit references
- Windows Admin Center updater DLL hijacking proof of conceptproof of concept · demonstrated
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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