CVE-2025-55681CWE-125CWE-822

Desktop Window Manager Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability

High · published October 14, 2025

CVSS v3.1
7.0
EPSS
5%
Percentile
92.6
In the wild
Unconfirmed
What it is

⚡ An out-of-bounds read in Windows DWM lets an attacker with local access crank up their privileges—think of it as a sneaky employee getting backstage access to the VIP lounge! 🎟️ Imagine walking into a concert and somehow finding a way past the security to the backstage area, getting a view that no one else should have. This vulnerability gives an attacker just that—access they shouldn’t be entitled to! With this vulnerability, an authorized attacker could elevate their privileges and gain control over the system, potentially accessing sensitive information or executing actions that could harm your system's integrity. The repercussions could be absolutely devastating, turning a local user into a system administrator!

Put simply

Imagine walking into a concert and somehow finding a way past the security to the backstage area, getting a view that no one else should have. This vulnerability gives an attacker just that—access they shouldn’t be entitled to! This CVE involves an out-of-bounds read in the Desktop Window Manager (DWM) of Windows, allowing attackers to read memory that they shouldn’t be able to access, thus escalating their privileges.

What to do

With this vulnerability, an authorized attacker could elevate their privileges and gain control over the system, potentially accessing sensitive information or executing actions that could harm your system's integrity. The repercussions could be absolutely devastating, turning a local user into a system administrator! To remediate this, ensure your Windows systems are updated to the latest security patches. Monitor local access frequently and restrict unnecessary privileges to minimize the impact. Regularly review user permissions to keep those backstage passes in check! You’ve got this! By patching up and following these steps, you'll be bolstering your defenses in no time. 🛡️

The record
Technical detail
CVSS v3.1
7.0 · HIGH
Vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:U/RL:O/RC:C
CVSS v4.0
Not supplied
EPSS
0.05380 · 92.6th percentile
Weaknesses
CWE-125 · Out-of-bounds Read; CWE-822 · Untrusted Pointer Dereference
Published
2025-10-14T17:00Z
EPSS history
Timeline
  • 14 OCT 17:00Z
    Desktop Window Manager Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
    cvelistv5