CVE-2025-21188: Microsoft Azure Network Watcher VM Extension · Link Following
Affects Microsoft Azure Network Watcher VM ExtensionSource CVE Database V5
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 6.0 Medium.
Data as of 25 Oct 2026, 19:02 UTC
- EPSS
- 0.7% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 53% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H/E:U/RL:O/RC:CExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 11 Feb 2025
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors
A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 2026-10-25.
What to do
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
NuGetmicrosoft.azure.networkwatcher.vmextensionpkg:nuget/microsoft.azure.networkwatcher.vmextensionOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.
AI-suggested
To mitigate CVE-2025-21188, organizations should: 1) Monitor Microsoft security advisories closely for official patches or updates to the Azure Network Watcher VM Extension and apply them promptly once available. 2) Restrict local access to Azure virtual machines, limiting the number of users or processes with high privileges to reduce the attack surface. 3) Implement strict access controls and auditing on file system operations, especially those involving symbolic or hard links, to detect and prevent unauthorized link manipulation. 4) Use Azure security features such as Just-In-Time VM access and Privileged Identity Management to minimize exposure of high privilege accounts. 5) Regularly review and harden VM extension configurations and permissions to ensure they follow the principle of least privilege. 6) Employ runtime monitoring and anomaly detection to identify suspicious file system activities indicative of link following exploitation attempts. 7) Consider isolating critical workloads and monitoring components from less trusted environments to contain potential privilege escalation impacts. These steps go beyond generic patching advice by focusing on access control, monitoring, and configuration hardening specific to the nature of the vulnerability.
Description
Azure Network Watcher VM Extension Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability