CVE-2025-48804 Overview
CVE-2025-48804 is a Windows BitLocker security feature bypass vulnerability affecting a broad range of Microsoft Windows client and server operating systems. The flaw stems from BitLocker accepting extraneous untrusted data alongside trusted data, which allows an attacker with physical access to the device to bypass BitLocker protections. Successful exploitation can compromise the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data protected by full-disk encryption. Microsoft published the advisory on July 8, 2025, and the entry was last updated in the National Vulnerability Database on June 17, 2026.
Critical Impact
An attacker with physical access to a target device can bypass BitLocker drive encryption and gain access to protected data.
Affected Products
- Microsoft Windows 10 (1507, 1607, 1809, 21H2, 22H2)
- Microsoft Windows 11 (22H2, 23H2, 24H2)
- Microsoft Windows Server 2012, 2016, 2019, 2022, 2022 23H2, and 2025
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-07-08 - CVE-2025-48804 published to NVD with Microsoft advisory
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-48804
Vulnerability Analysis
CVE-2025-48804 is classified under [CWE-349]: Acceptance of Extraneous Untrusted Data With Trusted Data. Windows BitLocker processes a data stream that mixes attacker-controllable untrusted content with authenticated trusted content, and downstream logic treats the composite as trustworthy. This design gap enables an attacker with physical possession of a device to influence BitLocker boot or unseal logic in a way that circumvents the encryption boundary.
Because the exploitation path requires physical access, the vulnerability primarily threatens lost, stolen, or unattended devices, as well as hardware exposed in shared environments such as kiosks, evidence lockers, or supply-chain handoffs. Once BitLocker is bypassed, the attacker can read plaintext data on the encrypted volume, tamper with system binaries, or plant persistence prior to returning the device.
Root Cause
The root cause is a validation gap where BitLocker does not adequately isolate untrusted inputs from trusted state during a security-sensitive operation. Extraneous data submitted alongside legitimate values is accepted without full authentication, allowing an attacker to influence the outcome of trust decisions used by the disk encryption subsystem.
Attack Vector
The attack vector is physical (AV:P) and requires no privileges or user interaction. An attacker with hands-on access to the device manipulates the data presented to BitLocker during boot or unseal to make the platform accept malicious inputs as trusted. No proof-of-concept exploit is publicly available, the vulnerability is not listed on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, and there are no confirmed reports of exploitation in the wild.
Microsoft has not published exploit code. Technical specifics beyond the advisory summary are limited; refer to the Microsoft Security Update for CVE-2025-48804 for authoritative details.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-48804
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected BitLocker recovery prompts, key rotations, or protector changes on managed endpoints without a corresponding administrative action.
- Boot Configuration Data (BCD) edits, WinRE modifications, or firmware setting changes on devices that have been out of user custody.
- Physical tamper evidence on chassis, ports, or storage devices combined with anomalous first-boot telemetry after a device returns from travel or repair.
Detection Strategies
- Monitor Windows event logs for BitLocker events (Event IDs in the 24576–24800 range) and TPM-related events indicating unseal failures or key regeneration.
- Alert on unexpected changes to Group Policy, PCR values, or Secure Boot state that would weaken BitLocker's platform integrity checks.
- Correlate offline time, physical location changes, and post-boot process anomalies to identify devices that may have been physically accessed.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Centralize BitLocker recovery key events and TPM attestation logs in your SIEM or data lake for retrospective analysis.
- Track patch compliance for the July 2025 Microsoft security updates across all in-scope Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows Server builds.
- Include devices returning from repair, RMA, or extended offline periods in a targeted review workflow.
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-48804
Immediate Actions Required
- Deploy the Microsoft July 2025 security updates addressing CVE-2025-48804 to all affected Windows client and server builds.
- Confirm that TPM-backed BitLocker is enabled with pre-boot authentication (PIN or startup key) on portable and high-risk endpoints.
- Rotate BitLocker recovery keys for devices suspected of physical tampering and verify escrow to Active Directory or Entra ID.
Patch Information
Microsoft has released fixes through the standard Windows Update channel. Administrators should apply the security updates referenced in the Microsoft Security Update Guide for CVE-2025-48804 for each affected Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows Server version. Verify installation with Get-HotFix or your endpoint management platform.
Workarounds
- Enable BitLocker pre-boot authentication (TPM+PIN) so that physical possession alone is not sufficient to reach the vulnerable code path.
- Enforce Secure Boot, disable unused external boot options in firmware, and set a firmware password to limit physical attack surface.
- Maintain strict chain-of-custody controls for devices in transit, storage, or repair, and prioritize patch deployment for laptops and field-deployed endpoints.
# Verify BitLocker status and enforce TPM+PIN protector
manage-bde -status C:
manage-bde -protectors -add C: -TPMAndPIN
# Confirm the CVE-2025-48804 security update is installed
Get-HotFix | Sort-Object -Property InstalledOn -Descending | Select-Object -First 10
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
