CVE-2025-55679 in Windows
Summary
by MITRE • 10/14/2025
Improper input validation in Windows Kernel allows an unauthorized attacker to disclose information locally.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/24/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-55679 represents a critical flaw in the Windows kernel's input validation mechanisms that enables local information disclosure attacks. This weakness resides within the core operating system components responsible for managing system resources and enforcing security policies. The vulnerability stems from insufficient validation of input parameters processed by kernel-level functions, creating opportunities for malicious actors to exploit the system's trust model and extract sensitive data from memory locations that should remain protected. Such flaws typically occur when the kernel fails to properly sanitize or validate data structures passed through system calls or kernel interfaces, allowing crafted inputs to bypass security checks and access restricted memory regions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves improper validation of kernel-mode input parameters that are processed by system functions handling device drivers, file operations, or memory management routines. Attackers can leverage this weakness by constructing malicious input sequences that exploit the kernel's failure to validate data integrity before processing. The vulnerability specifically affects the Windows kernel's ability to properly validate input data, potentially allowing attackers to read memory contents that contain sensitive information such as kernel pointers, credential data, or other confidential system structures. This type of flaw typically manifests through kernel-level functions that do not adequately verify the length, format, or content of input parameters, creating memory access patterns that can be manipulated to extract unauthorized information.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability presents significant risks to system security and integrity as it enables local information disclosure attacks that can be leveraged to gather sensitive data from running systems. The impact extends beyond simple data exposure, as the extracted information can be used to facilitate more sophisticated attacks including privilege escalation, kernel exploitation, or advanced persistent threat operations. Attackers with local access can exploit this vulnerability to gain insights into system memory layout, kernel structures, and potentially discover other vulnerabilities that could be exploited for broader system compromise. The local nature of this attack means that it requires minimal privileges to execute but can provide attackers with critical information that would normally be protected by kernel-level security mechanisms.
Security mitigations for CVE-2025-55679 should focus on implementing comprehensive input validation controls at kernel level and strengthening the overall security posture of Windows systems. Organizations should prioritize applying security patches and updates provided by Microsoft to address the root cause of the vulnerability. Additionally, implementing runtime protection mechanisms such as kernel address space layout randomization kASLR, data execution prevention DEP, and exploit protection features can help reduce the effectiveness of exploitation attempts. System administrators should also consider implementing monitoring solutions to detect anomalous kernel behavior patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-20, which describes improper input validation, and may map to ATT&CK techniques involving privilege escalation and credential access through kernel exploitation methods. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in system components and ensure comprehensive protection against information disclosure threats.