CVE-2025-12053: Windows Driver Buffer Overflow Vulnerability

CVE-2025-12053 Overview

CVE-2025-12053 affects drivers shipped in Insyde tool packages that read registry values using the RTL_QUERY_REGISTRY_DIRECT flag without sufficient validation. An untrusted local user-mode application can manipulate the targeted registry value to trigger a buffer overflow inside the kernel driver. The flaw is classified under [CWE-787] (Out-of-bounds Write) and carries local attack characteristics with low privilege requirements and no user interaction.

Critical Impact
A local attacker with low privileges can corrupt kernel memory through a vulnerable driver, leading to potential code execution in kernel context and full compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

Affected Products

Insyde tool package drivers documented in advisory SA-2025010
Systems with firmware utilities relying on the affected kernel drivers
Windows endpoints where the vulnerable drivers are installed and loaded

Discovery Timeline

2026-01-14 - CVE-2025-12053 published to NVD
2026-04-15 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-12053

Vulnerability Analysis

The affected drivers query a registry value using the Windows kernel routine RtlQueryRegistryValues with the RTL_QUERY_REGISTRY_DIRECT flag. This flag instructs the kernel to copy registry data directly into a caller-supplied buffer. When the driver does not also specify RTL_QUERY_REGISTRY_TYPECHECK or validate the size of the data returned, the kernel writes the registry contents into the fixed-size buffer without bounds enforcement.

A local user with permission to write to the queried registry key can place an oversized value at the location the driver reads. When the driver later issues the query, the kernel performs an out-of-bounds write into the driver's buffer. The result is kernel stack or pool corruption, depending on where the buffer resides.

Exploitation requires only local code execution at standard user privileges. The vulnerability falls into the well-documented pattern of insecure RTL_QUERY_REGISTRY_DIRECT usage that Microsoft itself has warned driver developers about for over a decade.

Root Cause

The root cause is the unsafe combination of RTL_QUERY_REGISTRY_DIRECT with an unvalidated, attacker-influenced registry value. The driver trusts that the registry data matches a specific type and size, but a low-privileged user can rewrite the value beforehand to violate that assumption.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is local. An attacker executes a user-mode application that writes a crafted, oversized value to the registry key consulted by the vulnerable driver. The next driver operation that triggers the query produces the kernel-mode buffer overflow described in the Insyde Security Advisory SA-2025010.

No verified proof-of-concept code has been published. Refer to the vendor advisory for technical details on the affected components and call paths.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-12053

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected modifications to registry keys consumed by Insyde firmware utility drivers
Kernel bug checks such as KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED or PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA referencing affected drivers in the crash dump stack
Loading of vulnerable Insyde driver versions on systems where firmware tooling is not actively in use

Detection Strategies

Inventory endpoints for the presence and version of Insyde tool package drivers identified in SA-2025010
Monitor RegSetValue operations against registry paths read by the affected drivers, particularly writes by non-administrative processes
Correlate driver load events with subsequent kernel crashes or anomalous process privilege changes

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable Windows Event Log auditing for registry key changes under paths used by firmware utilities
Collect kernel crash dumps and review stack traces for the affected driver image names
Track local privilege escalation telemetry, including new SYSTEM-context processes spawned shortly after a registry write by a standard user

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-12053

Immediate Actions Required

Apply the driver updates referenced in the Insyde Security Advisory SA-2025010 as soon as they are available for your platform
Remove or disable Insyde firmware utility drivers on systems that do not require them for ongoing operations
Restrict local logon and code execution rights on systems where the vulnerable drivers remain loaded

Patch Information

Insyde has published advisory SA-2025010 documenting the vulnerability. Consult the advisory for fixed driver versions and integration guidance. OEMs that redistribute Insyde tool packages should obtain updated builds from Insyde and propagate them to affected platforms.

Workarounds

Apply access control lists (ACLs) to the registry keys consumed by the affected drivers so that only administrators can modify them
Block load of the vulnerable driver versions using Windows Defender Application Control or driver block rules until patches are deployed
Limit installation of the firmware tooling to engineering or service environments rather than general-purpose workstations

bash

# Example: restrict write access to a registry key to administrators only
icacls.exe /dev/null > NUL
reg.exe add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Vendor\ToolKey" /f
# Use PowerShell to set an ACL that denies write to non-administrators
powershell -Command "$acl = Get-Acl 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Vendor\ToolKey'; \
  $rule = New-Object System.Security.AccessControl.RegistryAccessRule( \
  'BUILTIN\Users','WriteKey','Deny'); \
  $acl.SetAccessRule($rule); \
  Set-Acl 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Vendor\ToolKey' $acl"