CVE-2025-21204
Windows Process Activation Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
Improper link resolution before file access ('link following') in Windows Update Stack allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- Low
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
Windows Process Activation Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
Improper link resolution before file access ('link following') in Windows Update Stack allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
- Record
CVE-2025-21204- CVSS 3.1
- 7.8 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:U/RL:O/RC:C - Weakness
- CWE-59
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2025-10245
Improper link resolution before file access ('link following') in Windows Update Stack allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
- Record
EUVD-2025-10245- CVSS 3.1
- 7.8 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:U/RL:O/RC:C - Updated
- 2026-11-02
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-429q-ccqc-32wq
Improper link resolution before file access ('link following') in Windows Update Stack allows an...
Improper link resolution before file access ('link following') in Windows Update Stack allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
- Record
GHSA-429q-ccqc-32wq- CVSS 3.1
- 7.8 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-59
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
Improper link resolution before file access ('link following') in Windows Update Stack allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
- Record
CVE-2025-21204- CVSS 3.1
- 7.8 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-59
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
- microsoft windows 10 version 1507
- microsoft windows 10 version 1607
- microsoft windows 10 version 1809
- microsoft windows 10 version 21h2
- microsoft windows 10 version 22h2
- microsoft windows 11 version 22h2
- microsoft windows 11 version 22h3
- microsoft windows 11 version 23h2
- microsoft windows 11 version 24h2
- microsoft windows server 2008 r2 service pack 1
- microsoft windows server 2008 r2 service pack 1 (server core installation)
- microsoft windows server 2008 service pack 2
Show 23 moreShow less
- microsoft windows server 2008 service pack 2 (server core installation)
- microsoft windows server 2012
- microsoft windows server 2012 (server core installation)
- microsoft windows server 2012 r2
- microsoft windows server 2012 r2 (server core installation)
- microsoft windows server 2016
- microsoft windows server 2016 (server core installation)
- microsoft windows server 2019
- microsoft windows server 2019 (server core installation)
- microsoft windows server 2022
- microsoft windows server 2022, 23h2 edition (server core installation)
- microsoft windows server 2025
- microsoft windows server 2025 (server core installation)
- microsoft windows 10 1507
- microsoft windows 10 1607
- microsoft windows 10 1809
- microsoft windows 10 21h2
- microsoft windows 10 22h2
- microsoft windows 11 22h2
- microsoft windows 11 23h2
- microsoft windows 11 24h2
- microsoft windows server 2008
- microsoft windows server 2022 23h2
Public exploits
Links only. Every CVE stores no exploit code.
| Source | Link | Date |
|---|---|---|
| PoC in GitHub | mmotti/Reset-inetpub | 2025-04-24 |
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| first indexed | CVE List, EUVD, GitHub Advisories, NVD, PoC in GitHub |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2025-21204 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 7.8) in Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1507, published April 8, 2025. Public exploit code exists. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 7.13%, the 94th percentile. No source names a fixed version.
References
msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2025-21204
vicarius.io/vsociety/posts/cve-2025-21204-privilege-elevation-vulnerability-in-microsoft-windows-update-stack-mitigation-script
nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-21204
github.com/advisories/GHSA-429q-ccqc-32wq