CVE-2025-27467 Overview
CVE-2025-27467 is a use-after-free vulnerability [CWE-416] in the Windows Digital Media component. An authorized local attacker can exploit the flaw to elevate privileges on affected Windows client and server systems. Microsoft published the advisory on April 8, 2025, covering supported versions of Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows Server.
Successful exploitation grants high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact on the target host. The attack requires local access and low privileges but no user interaction. Microsoft has released security updates addressing the issue across all affected builds.
Critical Impact
A local low-privileged attacker who triggers the use-after-free in Windows Digital Media can execute code with elevated privileges, enabling full compromise of the affected host.
Affected Products
- Microsoft Windows 10 (1809, 21H2, 22H2)
- Microsoft Windows 11 (22H2, 23H2, 24H2)
- Microsoft Windows Server 2019, Server 2022 23H2, and Server 2025
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-04-08 - CVE-2025-27467 published to NVD and Microsoft releases security update
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-27467
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability resides in the Windows Digital Media subsystem, which handles media processing tasks invoked by user-mode applications and system services. A use-after-free condition [CWE-416] occurs when the component references an object in memory after that object has been freed. An authorized attacker running code locally can manipulate this dangling reference to corrupt kernel or process memory.
Because the impacted code path executes at a higher privilege level than the caller, controlled memory corruption translates into privilege escalation. Exploitation yields SYSTEM-level control, allowing the attacker to install programs, modify data, or create new privileged accounts.
Root Cause
The root cause is improper object lifetime management within Windows Digital Media. The affected code path releases a memory allocation while still retaining a reference to it. When that reference is later dereferenced, an attacker who has reclaimed the freed memory with attacker-controlled data influences execution flow inside the privileged component.
Attack Vector
The attack vector is local. An attacker must first obtain the ability to execute code on the target with standard user privileges. From that context, the attacker triggers the vulnerable Digital Media code path through crafted API calls or media objects, races the free operation, and reclaims the freed allocation to control subsequent memory reads or writes. No user interaction is required. Refer to the Microsoft Security Update CVE-2025-27467 advisory for vendor technical details.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-27467
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected child processes spawned by Windows Digital Media-related services or media host processes running as SYSTEM.
- Crashes or exception events in mfcore.dll, mf.dll, or related Windows Media Foundation components on unpatched hosts.
- New local accounts, scheduled tasks, or services created shortly after suspicious media-processing activity from a standard user session.
Detection Strategies
- Monitor for standard user processes that suddenly execute child processes with SYSTEM or elevated integrity levels.
- Correlate Windows Error Reporting (WER) crash telemetry in Digital Media components with subsequent privilege changes on the same host.
- Hunt for unusual handle duplication or token manipulation events (Sysmon Event ID 10) targeting privileged processes from unprivileged callers.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Ingest Windows Security, Sysmon, and WER logs into a centralized analytics platform and alert on privilege escalation patterns.
- Track patch compliance across Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows Server fleets and flag hosts missing the April 2025 cumulative update.
- Baseline normal Digital Media process behavior and alert on deviations such as unexpected DLL loads or memory protection changes.
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-27467
Immediate Actions Required
- Apply the April 2025 Microsoft security updates referenced in MSRC CVE-2025-27467 to all affected Windows and Windows Server systems.
- Prioritize multi-user systems, jump hosts, and terminal servers where local low-privileged access is broadly available.
- Audit local accounts and remove unnecessary interactive logon rights on servers to reduce the attacker population able to reach the local attack surface.
Patch Information
Microsoft has issued cumulative security updates for Windows 10 1809/21H2/22H2, Windows 11 22H2/23H2/24H2, Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2022 23H2, and Windows Server 2025. Deploy the updates through Windows Update, Windows Server Update Services (WSUS), or Microsoft Intune. Consult the Microsoft Security Update CVE-2025-27467 advisory for the specific KB article per build.
Workarounds
- No official vendor workaround is documented; patching is the required remediation path.
- Restrict interactive and remote-interactive logon rights so only trusted users can execute code locally on sensitive hosts.
- Enforce application control policies such as Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC) or AppLocker to limit unsigned code execution by standard users.
# Verify installation of the April 2025 cumulative update on Windows hosts
Get-HotFix | Sort-Object -Property InstalledOn -Descending | Select-Object -First 10
# Query installed updates from a specific date
wmic qfe where "InstalledOn>='4/8/2025'" get HotFixID,InstalledOn,Description
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
