CVE-2025-12050: Windows Driver Buffer Overflow Vulnerability

CVE-2025-12050 Overview

CVE-2025-12050 is a buffer overflow vulnerability affecting drivers in Insyde tool packages. The vulnerability exists due to improper use of the RTL_QUERY_REGISTRY_DIRECT flag when reading registry values. This allows an untrusted user-mode application to potentially trigger a buffer overflow condition in the affected drivers, which could lead to local privilege escalation or arbitrary code execution with elevated privileges.

Critical Impact

Local attackers with low privileges can exploit this buffer overflow vulnerability to potentially achieve code execution with kernel-level privileges, compromising system confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

Affected Products

• Insyde tool package drivers using RTL_QUERY_REGISTRY_DIRECT flag
• Systems with vulnerable Insyde driver components installed
• BIOS/UEFI firmware environments utilizing affected Insyde drivers

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-01-14 - CVE-2025-12050 published to NVD
• 2026-01-14 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-12050

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-787 (Out-of-bounds Write), a memory corruption flaw that occurs when the affected drivers read registry values using the RTL_QUERY_REGISTRY_DIRECT flag without proper bounds checking. The vulnerability requires local access with low privileges and no user interaction to exploit.

When a driver uses RTL_QUERY_REGISTRY_DIRECT, it instructs the Windows Registry API to write registry data directly to a provided buffer. If the buffer size is insufficient or improperly validated, an attacker can craft malicious registry entries that exceed the expected buffer boundaries, resulting in a buffer overflow condition.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2025-12050 lies in the unsafe usage of the RTL_QUERY_REGISTRY_DIRECT flag within Insyde tool package drivers. This flag bypasses intermediate buffering and writes registry data directly to a caller-supplied buffer. When drivers fail to properly validate the size of registry values before reading them, or when they allocate fixed-size buffers for variable-length registry data, attackers can manipulate registry entries to overflow these buffers.

The Windows kernel provides the RtlQueryRegistryValues function for reading registry values, and when combined with RTL_QUERY_REGISTRY_DIRECT, developers must ensure adequate buffer sizing and validation—a step that was insufficiently implemented in the affected drivers.

Attack Vector

The attack vector for this vulnerability is local, requiring the attacker to have authenticated access to the target system with low-privilege credentials. The exploitation process involves:

1. An attacker identifies a registry key that is read by the vulnerable driver using RTL_QUERY_REGISTRY_DIRECT
2. The attacker modifies or creates a registry value with data larger than the driver's expected buffer size
3. When the driver loads or accesses the registry, the oversized data overflows the buffer
4. This overflow can corrupt adjacent kernel memory, potentially allowing arbitrary code execution in kernel mode

Since the vulnerability exists in kernel-mode drivers, successful exploitation could enable complete system compromise, including bypassing security controls and executing code with SYSTEM privileges.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-12050

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected modifications to registry keys associated with Insyde drivers or tool packages
• Kernel crash dumps (BSOD) indicating memory corruption in Insyde driver modules
• Suspicious user-mode processes attempting to modify driver-related registry entries
• Anomalous privilege escalation events following registry modification activities

Detection Strategies

• Monitor registry access patterns for unusual modifications to keys accessed by Insyde drivers
• Implement kernel-level integrity monitoring to detect out-of-bounds memory writes
• Deploy endpoint detection rules to flag buffer overflow exploitation attempts targeting driver components
• Utilize behavioral analysis to identify privilege escalation attempts following registry manipulation

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed Windows Event Log auditing for registry access and modification events
• Configure SentinelOne Singularity platform to monitor for kernel-mode memory corruption indicators
• Implement file integrity monitoring for Insyde driver binaries and associated configuration files
• Review system stability logs for unexpected driver crashes or kernel exceptions

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-12050

Immediate Actions Required

• Review the Insyde Security Advisory SA-2025010 for vendor-specific guidance and patches
• Identify systems with affected Insyde tool package drivers installed
• Restrict registry write permissions for non-administrative users where possible
• Apply the principle of least privilege to limit local account access on affected systems
• Consider temporarily disabling or removing non-essential Insyde tool packages until patches are applied

Patch Information

Insyde has released security advisory SA-2025010 addressing this vulnerability. Organizations should consult the Insyde Security Advisory SA-2025010 for specific patch versions and update instructions. Contact your OEM vendor for firmware updates that include the patched driver components, as Insyde drivers are typically distributed through system manufacturers' BIOS/UEFI updates.

Workarounds

• Restrict write access to registry keys used by affected drivers to administrators only
• Implement application whitelisting to prevent unauthorized processes from modifying driver-related registry entries
• Enable Windows Defender Credential Guard and Device Guard where supported to add additional protection layers
• Monitor and audit local user activity on systems with affected drivers pending patch deployment

# Registry permission hardening example (PowerShell - requires elevation)
# Identify and restrict access to Insyde driver-related registry keys
# Consult Insyde advisory for specific key paths

# Example: Set restrictive ACL on a driver registry key
$acl = Get-Acl "HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\InsydeDriver"
$acl.SetAccessRuleProtection($true, $false)
$adminRule = New-Object System.Security.AccessControl.RegistryAccessRule("BUILTIN\Administrators","FullControl","Allow")
$acl.AddAccessRule($adminRule)
Set-Acl "HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\InsydeDriver" $acl