CVE-2025-12052: Windows Driver Buffer Overflow Vulnerability

CVE-2025-12052 Overview

CVE-2025-12052 is a buffer overflow vulnerability affecting drivers in Insyde tool packages. The vulnerability stems from the improper use of the RTL_QUERY_REGISTRY_DIRECT flag when reading registry values. An untrusted user-mode application can exploit this flaw to trigger a buffer overflow, potentially leading to privilege escalation or arbitrary code execution at the kernel level.

Critical Impact

Local attackers with low privileges can exploit this driver vulnerability to achieve high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected system, potentially gaining kernel-level access.

Affected Products

• Insyde tool package drivers using RTL_QUERY_REGISTRY_DIRECT for registry reads
• Systems with vulnerable Insyde firmware tooling installed
• Devices utilizing affected Insyde driver components

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-01-14 - CVE-2025-12052 published to NVD
• 2026-01-14 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-12052

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-787 (Out-of-bounds Write), indicating that the affected drivers write data beyond the boundaries of allocated memory buffers. The root issue lies in how the drivers handle registry queries using the Windows kernel registry API.

The RTL_QUERY_REGISTRY_DIRECT flag is used in Windows kernel-mode drivers to directly read registry values into a provided buffer. When this flag is used without proper size validation, an attacker who can control or influence the registry value's contents can cause the driver to write more data than the allocated buffer can hold, resulting in a buffer overflow condition.

This local attack vector requires an attacker to have low-privilege access to the target system. Once exploited, the vulnerability can compromise the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the system, as the buffer overflow occurs in kernel context where drivers operate with elevated privileges.

Root Cause

The root cause is the unsafe use of the RTL_QUERY_REGISTRY_DIRECT flag without adequate bounds checking. When drivers use this flag to read registry values, they must ensure that the destination buffer is large enough to accommodate the data being read. The vulnerable Insyde tool package drivers fail to properly validate the size of registry data before copying it into fixed-size buffers, allowing user-controllable registry values to overflow the buffer boundaries.

Attack Vector

The attack requires local access with low privileges. An attacker can:

1. Modify or create registry values that the vulnerable driver reads during operation
2. Populate the registry value with data exceeding the expected buffer size
3. Trigger the driver to read the malicious registry value using RTL_QUERY_REGISTRY_DIRECT
4. The oversized data overflows the kernel buffer, potentially corrupting adjacent memory structures
5. Depending on what memory is overwritten, the attacker may achieve privilege escalation or arbitrary kernel code execution

The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because registry operations can be performed by user-mode applications with standard privileges, while the buffer overflow occurs in kernel space where the driver operates.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-12052

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual registry modifications to values read by Insyde tool package drivers
• System instability or blue screens (BSOD) related to Insyde driver components
• Unexpected kernel-mode exceptions or memory corruption events
• Evidence of privilege escalation attempts on systems with Insyde tooling installed

Detection Strategies

• Monitor for anomalous registry write operations targeting driver configuration keys
• Implement kernel integrity monitoring to detect unauthorized memory modifications
• Deploy endpoint detection solutions capable of identifying suspicious driver behavior
• Review system event logs for driver-related crashes or exceptions

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable verbose logging for driver load events and registry access patterns
• Implement real-time monitoring of kernel memory integrity
• Configure alerts for unusual process behavior following registry modifications
• Regularly audit installed drivers and their associated registry configurations

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-12052

Immediate Actions Required

• Review and update Insyde tool package drivers to patched versions as they become available
• Restrict registry write permissions to limit untrusted user modification of driver-related keys
• Implement application whitelisting to prevent unauthorized code execution
• Monitor affected systems for signs of exploitation attempts

Patch Information

Insyde has acknowledged this vulnerability in Security Advisory SA-2025010. Organizations should consult this advisory for specific patch information, affected versions, and remediation guidance. Contact Insyde support or check the security advisory page for the latest firmware and driver updates that address this vulnerability.

Workarounds

• Restrict access to registry keys used by Insyde tool package drivers using Windows ACLs
• Limit local user privileges to reduce the attack surface
• Consider uninstalling unnecessary Insyde tool packages until patches are applied
• Implement additional endpoint protection controls to detect exploitation attempts