Severity
High
Analysis Summary
A critical information disclosure vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2025-62468, has been identified in the Windows Defender Firewall Service, affecting multiple Windows platforms. The flaw stems from an out-of-bounds read condition (CWE-125) that allows authorized attackers to access sensitive heap memory on affected systems. Microsoft has assigned this vulnerability an Important severity rating with a CVSS v3.1 score of 4.4, indicating a local attack vector, low attack complexity, high privileges required, and no user interaction needed. While the flaw impacts the confidentiality of stored information, it does not compromise system integrity or availability.
The vulnerability is exploitable only by users with high-level privileges, limiting its immediate threat scope. Successful exploitation allows attackers to read portions of heap memory without any user interaction. Microsoft has assessed the likelihood of exploitation as unlikely, with no public exploit code or active attacks reported at the time of disclosure. However, the vulnerability emphasizes the critical importance of restricting administrative access and monitoring privileged user activities within organizations.
CVE-2025-62468 affects a wide range of Windows versions, including Windows Server 2025, Windows Server 2022 23H2, and Windows 11 versions 23H2, 24H2, and 25H2 on both x64 and ARM64 architectures. Microsoft has released patches through standard security updates and security hotpatch updates, allowing organizations flexibility in deployment. Administrators are strongly advised to promptly apply these updates via Microsoft Update or the Microsoft Update Catalog to mitigate potential risks.
The vulnerability was responsibly disclosed by Researcher to Microsoft through coordinated disclosure channels. Exploitation requires membership in specific privileged user groups, making it a targeted threat primarily for organizations with strict access controls. The issue underlines the importance of regular patching, privilege management, and monitoring of administrative activities, ensuring sensitive data stored in memory remains protected against potential misuse.
Impact
- Information Disclosure
- Gain Access
Indicators of Compromise
CVE
CVE-2025-62468
Affected Vendors
Remediation
- Apply Security Updates, Immediately install the relevant patches for your Windows version via Microsoft Update or the Microsoft Update Catalog.
- Choose between hotpatch updates for minimal disruption or standard security updates based on organizational deployment policies.
- Limit membership in privileged user groups to only necessary personnel to reduce the risk of exploitation.
- Implement monitoring and auditing of high-level accounts to detect suspicious access or memory reading attempts.
- Ensure users operate with the lowest required permissions to perform their tasks.
- Verify all systems are updated and compliant with the latest security updates to prevent exposure.
- Share the advisory with relevant IT and SOC teams to ensure rapid response and mitigation.