Microsoft Windows up to Server 2025 Digest Authentication heap-based overflow

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability identified as critical has been detected in Microsoft Windows. Impacted is an unknown function of the component Digest Authentication. Performing a manipulation results in heap-based overflow. This vulnerability is identified as CVE-2025-21369. The attack can be initiated remotely. There is not any exploit available. It is recommended to apply a patch to fix this issue.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability, which was classified as critical, was found in Microsoft Windows. This affects some unknown functionality of the component Digest Authentication. The manipulation with an unknown input leads to a heap-based overflow vulnerability. CWE is classifying the issue as CWE-122. A heap overflow condition is a buffer overflow, where the buffer that can be overwritten is allocated in the heap portion of memory, generally meaning that the buffer was allocated using a routine such as malloc(). This is going to have an impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

The weakness was released 02/11/2025 as confirmed security update guide (Website). It is possible to read the advisory at msrc.microsoft.com. This vulnerability is uniquely identified as CVE-2025-21369. The exploitability is told to be easy. It is possible to initiate the attack remotely. The technical details are unknown and an exploit is not publicly available. The pricing for an exploit might be around USD $5k-$25k at the moment (estimation calculated on 02/12/2025).

The vulnerability scanner Nessus provides a plugin with the ID 216140 (KB5051979: Windows Server 2022 / Azure Stack HCI 22H2 Security Update (February 2025)), which helps to determine the existence of the flaw in a target environment.

Applying a patch is able to eliminate this problem. A possible mitigation has been published immediately after the disclosure of the vulnerability.

The vulnerability is also documented in the vulnerability database at Tenable (216140). Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.

Productinfo

Type

• Operating System

Vendor

• Microsoft

Name

• Windows

Version

• 10
• 10 21H2
• 10 22H2
• 10 1607
• 10 1809
• 11 22H2
• 11 23H2
• 11 24H2
• Server 2008 R2 SP1
• Server 2008 SP2
• Server 2012
• Server 2012 R2
• Server 2016
• Server 2019
• Server 2022
• Server 2022 23H2
• Server 2025

License

• commercial

Website

• Vendor: https://www.microsoft.com/
• Product: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows

CPE 2.3info

• 🔍
• 🔍
• 🔍

CPE 2.2info

• 🔍
• 🔍
• 🔍

CVSSv4info

CVSSv3info

CVSSv2info

Exploitinginfo

Threat Intelligenceinfo

Countermeasuresinfo

Timelineinfo

Sourcesinfo

Entryinfo

Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.

Discussion