CVE-2025-24050 Overview
CVE-2025-24050 is a heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability in the Windows Hyper-V role. An authorized local attacker can exploit the flaw to elevate privileges on the affected host. Microsoft published the advisory on March 11, 2025, covering multiple supported versions of Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows Server. The weakness is tracked under CWE-122 (Heap-based Buffer Overflow) and requires low privileges with no user interaction to exploit. Successful exploitation results in high impact to confidentiality, integrity, and availability on the Hyper-V host.
Critical Impact
A local attacker with low-privilege access to a Hyper-V-enabled host can corrupt heap memory to elevate privileges and gain full control of the host system.
Affected Products
- Microsoft Windows 10 (versions 1607, 1809, 21H2, 22H2) with Hyper-V role
- Microsoft Windows 11 (versions 22H2, 23H2, 24H2) with Hyper-V role
- Microsoft Windows Server 2016, 2019, 2022, 2022 23H2, and 2025
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-03-11 - CVE-2025-24050 published to NVD alongside Microsoft's security advisory
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-24050
Vulnerability Analysis
CVE-2025-24050 is a heap-based buffer overflow in the Windows Hyper-V role. Hyper-V is Microsoft's Type-1 hypervisor that manages virtual machines and exposes host-side services to guest partitions through virtualization stack components. The overflow occurs when a Hyper-V component writes attacker-influenced data past the bounds of an allocated heap buffer. The corrupted heap metadata or adjacent objects can be leveraged to redirect execution flow within a privileged host context. Because the attack vector is local and requires only low privileges, an attacker who can execute code on a Hyper-V host, including from within an appropriately positioned guest or as a low-privileged local user, can attempt exploitation. Successful exploitation yields SYSTEM-level privileges on the host, breaking the isolation guarantees that Hyper-V provides.
Root Cause
The root cause is improper bounds checking on a heap buffer within a Hyper-V component. The Hyper-V code path allocates a buffer whose size does not account for all attacker-controllable input, allowing a write beyond the allocation. Microsoft's advisory does not publicly disclose the affected function or exact code path.
Attack Vector
Exploitation is local. The attacker must already have valid, low-privileged access to the Hyper-V host or an equivalent execution context that reaches the vulnerable Hyper-V code path. No user interaction is required. After triggering the overflow and corrupting heap structures, the attacker escalates to higher privileges on the host.
No public proof-of-concept or exploit code is available for CVE-2025-24050 at the time of publication. See the Microsoft Security Advisory for CVE-2025-24050 for vendor technical details.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-24050
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected crashes, bugchecks, or restarts of Hyper-V-related services and host processes on servers running the Hyper-V role
- Creation of new local administrator accounts, privileged tokens, or scheduled tasks originating from previously low-privileged user sessions on Hyper-V hosts
- Anomalous child processes spawned by Hyper-V virtualization stack components
Detection Strategies
- Monitor Windows Event Logs on Hyper-V hosts for service crashes, WER (Windows Error Reporting) entries, and kernel bugchecks tied to virtualization components
- Track sudden privilege elevation events (Event IDs 4672, 4673, 4688) for users who should not hold administrative rights on Hyper-V hosts
- Baseline normal Hyper-V process behavior and alert on deviations such as unusual memory allocations or unexpected image loads within the virtualization stack
Monitoring Recommendations
- Ensure endpoint telemetry, including process, module load, and token manipulation events, is collected from all Hyper-V hosts and forwarded to a central SIEM or data lake
- Correlate authentication activity on Hyper-V hosts with subsequent process execution to identify low-privileged users triggering suspicious host-side behavior
- Review patch compliance status across all Windows Server and Windows client systems with the Hyper-V role enabled
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-24050
Immediate Actions Required
- Apply the March 2025 Microsoft security updates addressing CVE-2025-24050 to all Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows Server systems with the Hyper-V role enabled
- Inventory all hosts running the Hyper-V role and prioritize patching on multi-tenant or high-value virtualization hosts
- Restrict local logon and code execution rights on Hyper-V hosts to a minimal set of administrative users
Patch Information
Microsoft released security updates for the affected Windows versions on March 11, 2025. Refer to the Microsoft Security Update Guide for CVE-2025-24050 to identify the correct KB article and cumulative update for each affected build.
Workarounds
- Where the Hyper-V role is not required, disable it to remove the vulnerable attack surface entirely
- Enforce least privilege on Hyper-V hosts and prevent standard users from interactively logging on or running arbitrary code
- Isolate Hyper-V management interfaces on dedicated administrative networks and require multi-factor authentication for administrative access
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
