CVE-2025-48799: Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1607 · Link Following
Affects Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1607Source CVE Database V5
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.8 High.
Data as of 25 Oct 2026, 19:02 UTC
- EPSS
- 1.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 69% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:U/RL:O/RC:CExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 8 Jul 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1607 | Affected
| Fixed in– |
AI-suggested
1. Apply official patches or security updates from Microsoft as soon as they become available for Windows 10 Version 1607. 2. If patches are not yet available, implement strict local user privilege management by limiting user rights to the minimum necessary and avoiding granting local administrative privileges unnecessarily. 3. Employ application whitelisting and endpoint protection solutions to detect and block suspicious local activities involving symbolic links or file system manipulations. 4. Monitor system logs and Windows Update Service activities for unusual file access patterns or link creation attempts. 5. Consider upgrading affected systems to a supported and fully patched version of Windows 10 or later to eliminate exposure to this and other legacy vulnerabilities. 6. Use Group Policy or security configuration tools to restrict the creation and resolution of symbolic links by non-administrative users where feasible. 7. Conduct regular security awareness training to reduce insider threat risks and encourage reporting of suspicious local behavior. 8. Implement network segmentation to limit the impact of compromised local accounts and contain potential lateral movement.
Description
Improper link resolution before file access ('link following') in Windows Update Service allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
References
- msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2025-48799 (opens in a new tab)
- vicarius.io/vsociety/posts/cve-2025-48799-mitigation-script-elevation-of-privilege-vulnerability-in-windows-update-service (opens in a new tab)
- vicarius.io/vsociety/posts/cve-2025-48799-detection-script-elevation-of-privilege-vulnerability-in-windows-update-service (opens in a new tab)