CVE-2025-24061: Windows Mark of the Web Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability

Overview

Severity
High (CVSS 7.8)
CVSS Vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:U/RL:O/RC:C
Category
Security Feature Bypass
Exploit Status
Not Exploited
Exploitation Likelihood
More Likely
Patch Tuesday
2025-Mar
Released
2025-03-11
EPSS Score
0.40% (percentile: 60.5%)

Description

Protection mechanism failure in Windows Mark of the Web (MOTW) allows an unauthorized attacker to bypass a security feature locally.

FAQ

How could an attacker exploit the vulnerability? In a web-based attack scenario, an attacker could host a malicious website that is designed to exploit the security feature bypass. In an email or instant message attack scenario, the attacker could send the targeted user a specially crafted .url file that is designed to exploit the bypass. Compromised websites or websites that accept or host user-provided content could contain specially crafted content to exploit the security feature bypass. In all cases an attacker would have no way to force a user to view attacker-controlled content. Instead, an attacker would have to convince a user to take action. For example, an attacker could entice a user to either click a link that directs the user to the attacker's site or send a malicious attachment. Please see Additional information about Mark of the Web for further clarification What kind of security feature could be bypassed by successfully exploiting this vulnerability? An attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability could evade Mark of the Web (MOTW) defenses.

Affected Products (27)

Windows

  • Windows 10 Version 1809 for 32-bit Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 1809 for x64-based Systems
  • Windows Server 2019
  • Windows Server 2019 (Server Core installation)
  • Windows Server 2022
  • Windows Server 2022 (Server Core installation)
  • Windows 10 Version 21H2 for 32-bit Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 21H2 for ARM64-based Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 21H2 for x64-based Systems
  • Windows Server 2025 (Server Core installation)
  • Windows 11 Version 23H2 for ARM64-based Systems
  • Windows 11 Version 23H2 for x64-based Systems
  • Windows Server 2022, 23H2 Edition (Server Core installation)
  • Windows 11 Version 24H2 for ARM64-based Systems
  • Windows 11 Version 24H2 for x64-based Systems
  • Windows Server 2025
  • Windows 10 for 32-bit Systems
  • Windows 10 for x64-based Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 1607 for 32-bit Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 1607 for x64-based Systems
  • Windows Server 2016
  • Windows Server 2016 (Server Core installation)

ESU

  • Windows 11 Version 22H2 for ARM64-based Systems
  • Windows 11 Version 22H2 for x64-based Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 22H2 for x64-based Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 22H2 for ARM64-based Systems
  • Windows 10 Version 22H2 for 32-bit Systems

Security Updates (8)

Acknowledgments

<a href="https://www.facebook.com/skorikjr">SkorikARI</a> with SkorikARI

Revision History

  • 2025-03-11: Information published.