VulnerabilityPublished 8 Jul 2025Updated 13 Feb 2026

CVE-2025-48810: Microsoft Windows 11 Version 24H2 · Processor Optimization Removal or Modification of Security-critical Code

Affects Microsoft Windows 11 Version 24H2Source CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 5.5 Medium.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 08:30 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

5.5Medium

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 0.5% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 44% 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:N/A:N/E:U/RL:O/RC:C

Base metrics

Attack Vector: Local
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: High
Integrity: None
Availability: None

Temporal metrics

Exploit Code Maturity: Unproven
Remediation Level: Official Fix
Report Confidence: Confirmed

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Local: The vulnerable component is not bound to the network stack and the attacker’s path is via read/write/execute capabilities. Either: the attacker exploits the vulnerability by accessing the target system locally (e.g., keyboard, console), or remotely (e.g., SSH); or the attacker relies on User Interaction by another person to perform actions required to exploit the vulnerability (e.g., tricking a legitimate user into opening a malicious document).
Attack Complexity: Low: Specialized access conditions or extenuating circumstances do not exist. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable component.
Privileges Required: Low: The attacker is authorized with (i.e., requires) privileges that provide basic user capabilities that could normally affect only settings and files owned by a user. Alternatively, an attacker with Low privileges may have the ability to cause an impact only to non-sensitive resources.
User Interaction: None: The vulnerable system can be exploited without any interaction from any user.
Scope: Unchanged: An exploited vulnerability can only affect resources managed by the same security authority. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are either the same, or both are managed by the same security authority.
Confidentiality: High: There is total loss of confidentiality, resulting in all resources within the impacted component being divulged to the attacker. Alternatively, access to only some restricted information is obtained, but the disclosed information presents a direct, serious impact.
Integrity: None: There is no loss of integrity within the impacted component.
Availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the impacted component.
Exploit Code Maturity: Unproven: No exploit code is available, or an exploit is theoretical.
Remediation Level: Official Fix: A complete vendor solution is available. Either the vendor has issued an official patch, or an upgrade is available.
Report Confidence: Confirmed: Detailed reports exist, or functional reproduction is possible (functional exploits may provide this). Source code is available to independently verify the assertions of the research, or the author or vendor of the affected code has confirmed the presence of the vulnerability.

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation 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 26 Oct 2026.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
Microsoft Windows 11 Version 24H2	Affected =10.0.26100.0	Fixed in–

AI-suggested

1. Restrict and monitor local access to Windows 11 24H2 systems, especially in sensitive environments, to reduce the risk of unauthorized exploitation. 2. Implement strict endpoint security controls, including application whitelisting and privilege management, to limit the ability of attackers to gain local access or escalate privileges. 3. Employ enhanced logging and monitoring focused on local kernel access attempts and unusual process behaviors indicative of exploitation attempts. 4. Isolate critical systems using network segmentation and access controls to minimize insider threat risks. 5. Prepare for rapid deployment of Microsoft patches or updates once released by establishing robust patch management processes. 6. Educate IT staff and users about the risks of local access vulnerabilities and encourage reporting of suspicious activities. 7. Consider using hardware-based security features such as TPM and virtualization-based security to strengthen kernel protection layers. 8. Regularly audit and update security policies to ensure compliance with best practices for local system security.

Description

Processor optimization removal or modification of security-critical code in Windows Secure Kernel Mode allows an authorized attacker to disclose information locally.

Impact

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a risk of unauthorized local disclosure of sensitive information protected by the Windows Secure Kernel. Organizations with high-value intellectual property, personal data, or critical security functions relying on Windows 11 24H2 could face confidentiality breaches if attackers gain local access. While the attack requires local privileges, insider threats or compromised endpoints could exploit this vulnerability to escalate information gathering capabilities. The lack of impact on integrity and availability reduces the risk of system disruption but does not diminish the potential damage from leaked sensitive data. Sectors such as finance, healthcare, government, and critical infrastructure in Europe, which often use Windows 11 in secure environments, may be particularly concerned. The medium severity rating suggests that while the vulnerability is not trivial, it is not among the most critical, but it still warrants timely mitigation to prevent data leaks. The absence of known exploits provides a window for proactive defense before active exploitation occurs.

CWE-1037Processor Optimization Removal or Modification of Security-critical Code (opens in a new tab)
Base weaknessLikelihood of exploit: Low
The developer builds a security-critical protection mechanism into the software, but the processor optimizes the execution of the program such that the mechanism is removed or modified.
Attack patterns
Exploitation of Transient Instruction Execution (opens in a new tab)
From MITRE CWE, MITRE CAPEC and OWASP (Top 10, OpenCRE).

References

msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2025-48810 (opens in a new tab)

Community reviews

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 14 Feb 2026, 10:13 UTC

WeaknessesCWE-1037

Technical details

References

Community reviews

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