CVE-2025-62448
Summary
by MITRE • 10/15/2025
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/25/2026
cve-2023-45869 represents a critical privilege escalation vulnerability affecting microsoft windows operating systems through improper handling of user privileges during system operations. this flaw resides in the windows kernel mode drivers and specifically impacts how the operating system processes certain privilege level transitions when executing specific system calls. the vulnerability stems from inadequate validation of access tokens and security descriptors within the kernel execution context, allowing malicious actors to elevate their privileges from standard user level to system administrator level without proper authentication mechanisms.
the technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through carefully crafted system calls that manipulate the kernel's privilege checking routines. attackers can leverage this weakness by creating specific conditions that cause the kernel to improperly validate security contexts during driver operations. this flaw particularly affects systems running windows 10 version 21h2 and earlier versions, as well as windows server 2019 and 2022 operating systems. the vulnerability is classified under cwe-269 improper privilege management within the common weakness enumeration catalog, which specifically addresses issues where software fails to properly enforce access controls on privileged operations.
from an operational perspective this vulnerability poses significant risk to enterprise environments where attackers could gain unauthorized system-level access and execute arbitrary code with complete administrative privileges. the impact extends beyond individual system compromise as successful exploitation can enable lateral movement within network environments and provide persistent access for extended periods. organizations running affected windows versions face potential data breaches, system corruption, and complete loss of operational control over compromised systems. the vulnerability aligns with attack techniques described in the mitre att&ck framework under privilege escalation tactics, specifically targeting the use of kernel-mode exploits to gain elevated privileges.
mitigation strategies focus on immediate patch deployment through microsoft security updates, which address the underlying privilege validation issues within the affected kernel drivers. organizations should implement comprehensive monitoring solutions to detect abnormal privilege escalation attempts and establish robust network segmentation to limit potential lateral movement. additional defensive measures include disabling unnecessary driver services, implementing application whitelisting policies, and maintaining regular security assessments of system configurations. the vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of timely patch management and proper privilege separation in enterprise security architectures, as it highlights how kernel-level flaws can undermine fundamental operating system security models. organizations must also consider implementing advanced threat detection capabilities that can identify anomalous behavior patterns consistent with privilege escalation attacks targeting similar kernel vulnerabilities.