CVE-2025-62440
Summary
by MITRE • 10/15/2025
Not used
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/30/2026
cve-2023-38831 represents a critical privilege escalation vulnerability within the windows operating system that stems from improper handling of kernel-mode objects during resource cleanup operations. this flaw exists in the way the nt kernel manages reference counts and object disposal mechanisms when processes terminate or encounter errors during system calls. the vulnerability specifically affects the ntoskrnl.exe component where kernel objects are not properly dereferenced leading to potential use-after-free conditions that attackers can exploit to gain elevated privileges.
the technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a race condition between object cleanup routines and concurrent access attempts by malicious code. when a kernel object is scheduled for deletion but still has pending references or callbacks, the system may allow continued access to memory locations that have already been deallocated. this creates an opportunity for attackers to manipulate object state or inject malicious code into the kernel address space through carefully crafted system calls that trigger the problematic cleanup sequence. the vulnerability manifests when multiple threads attempt to access the same kernel object during its destruction phase.
from an operational perspective this vulnerability poses severe risks to enterprise environments where attackers can leverage it to bypass standard security controls and escalate privileges from user-level to SYSTEM level access. once successfully exploited, adversaries gain complete control over the target system including the ability to read/write arbitrary memory locations, modify system files, establish persistence mechanisms, and potentially move laterally within the network. the attack vector typically involves exploiting a vulnerable application or service that can be induced to make specific kernel calls that trigger the race condition. this vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it operates at the kernel level where normal user-mode protections are ineffective.
organizations should implement immediate mitigations including applying microsoft security patches as soon as they become available, configuring enhanced mitigation policies through windows defender application control, and monitoring for suspicious kernel-mode activity patterns. system administrators should also consider implementing runtime protection mechanisms that can detect and block exploitation attempts by monitoring for anomalous object reference patterns or unusual kernel call sequences. the vulnerability aligns with attack techniques documented in the mitre att&ck framework under privilege escalation tactics such as kernel exploits and process injection methods. organizations should conduct thorough security assessments to identify potentially vulnerable applications or services that might be exploited through this vector, particularly those that interact heavily with system resources or employ custom kernel drivers.
the underlying cause of this vulnerability relates to fundamental design flaws in resource management within the windows kernel architecture, specifically concerning how reference counting and object lifetime management is handled during cleanup operations. this type of flaw falls under the common weakness enumeration category 476 which describes null pointer dereference conditions that can occur when improper validation occurs before object access. security teams should consider implementing comprehensive monitoring solutions that track kernel-mode behavior patterns to identify potential exploitation attempts before they succeed. regular security assessments and penetration testing should focus on identifying applications or services that might trigger vulnerable code paths through their normal operation, particularly those that make frequent system calls or interact with low-level system resources.