CVE-2025-62565 Overview
CVE-2025-62565 is a use-after-free vulnerability [CWE-416] in Windows Shell that permits local privilege escalation. An authorized attacker with low privileges can exploit freed memory references to execute code in a higher-privileged context. Successful exploitation requires user interaction, limiting remote automation but not lowering the operational risk on multi-user endpoints and terminal servers. Microsoft has assigned a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.3 and rates the flaw High severity. The vulnerability affects a broad matrix of Windows client and server releases, from Windows 10 1607 through Windows 11 25H2 and Windows Server 2016 through Windows Server 2025. Microsoft addressed the issue through its security update guide.
Critical Impact
Local attackers with valid credentials can elevate privileges to gain high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability across all supported Windows versions.
Affected Products
- Microsoft Windows 10 (1607, 1809, 21H2, 22H2)
- Microsoft Windows 11 (23H2, 24H2, 25H2)
- Microsoft Windows Server 2016, 2019, 2022, 2022 23H2, and 2025
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-12-09 - CVE-2025-62565 published to the National Vulnerability Database
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-62565
Vulnerability Analysis
The flaw resides in Windows Shell, the component responsible for the user-facing desktop experience, file browsing, shortcut handling, and shell extension processing. A use-after-free condition occurs when Shell code continues to reference an object after its backing memory has been released. An attacker who triggers the freed allocation to be reused with attacker-controlled data can influence a subsequent dereference. This can redirect control flow or corrupt state within a process running at higher privilege than the attacker's own session.
Exploitation requires the attacker to already hold valid local credentials and to induce a user to interact with a crafted artifact processed by Shell, such as a shortcut, folder, or shell extension entry point. Because Windows Shell frequently runs code in the interactive user's context and interoperates with elevated system components, a successful use-after-free provides a viable path from a standard user to elevated privileges on the host.
Root Cause
The underlying defect is improper object lifetime management [CWE-416]. Shell code fails to invalidate or synchronize a pointer to a heap object after the object is freed, permitting a later operation to dereference the stale pointer. Reallocation of the freed slot with attacker-influenced content converts the dangling reference into a controlled read or write primitive.
Attack Vector
The attack vector is local and requires low privileges plus user interaction. The attacker stages content that Windows Shell parses or renders, then relies on the victim to open a folder, execute a shortcut, or interact with a shell object. Because no verified public proof-of-concept is available, exploitation details remain vendor-restricted. See the Microsoft Security Update Guide for authoritative technical details.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-62565
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected crashes or exception events tied to explorer.exe or Shell-hosted processes such as ShellExperienceHost.exe.
- Creation of suspicious shortcut (.lnk), library (.library-ms), or search-connector (.searchConnector-ms) files in user-writable directories.
- Child processes spawned by explorer.exe running with integrity levels higher than the parent user session.
Detection Strategies
- Hunt for anomalous heap corruption telemetry and Windows Error Reporting entries referencing shell32.dll, windows.storage.dll, or related Shell binaries.
- Correlate user-interaction events with subsequent token elevation or new service and scheduled task creation from the same session.
- Apply behavioral rules that flag Shell processes loading unsigned or user-writable DLLs immediately before privileged process launches.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable Sysmon Event IDs 1, 7, 10, and 11 to capture process creation, image loads, process access, and file writes touching Shell paths.
- Forward endpoint crash and integrity-level transition events to a centralized SIEM for cross-host correlation.
- Track patch deployment state via Windows Update compliance reporting to identify unpatched endpoints exposed to this vulnerability.
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-62565
Immediate Actions Required
- Apply the Microsoft security update referenced in the MSRC advisory for CVE-2025-62565 to all affected Windows client and server systems.
- Prioritize multi-user hosts, jump servers, virtual desktop infrastructure, and Remote Desktop Session Hosts where local privilege escalation carries the highest impact.
- Audit local account membership and remove unneeded interactive logon rights to reduce the pool of "authorized attackers" who could stage the exploit.
Patch Information
Microsoft released fixes for CVE-2025-62565 through the monthly security update channel. Refer to the Microsoft Security Update Guide for the specific KB article and package that maps to each affected build. Verify installation with Get-HotFix or the Windows Update history after deployment.
Workarounds
- No official workaround is documented by Microsoft; patch installation is the supported remediation.
- As a compensating control, restrict interactive logon on servers and enforce application control policies (Windows Defender Application Control or AppLocker) to limit execution of untrusted Shell artifacts.
- Enforce least privilege and disable the loading of user-supplied shell extensions where operationally feasible.
# Verify the Microsoft security update is installed (replace KB number with the ID from MSRC)
Get-HotFix -Id KBXXXXXXX
# Confirm current Windows build for patch mapping
[System.Environment]::OSVersion.Version
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
