CVE-2025-32709: Windows Ancillary Function Driver for WinSock Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability

Overview

Severity

High (CVSS 7.8)

CVSS Vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:U/RL:O/RC:C

Category

Elevation of Privilege

Exploit Status

Actively Exploited

Exploitation Likelihood

Detected

Patch Tuesday

2025-May

Released

2025-05-13

Last Updated

2025-05-15

EPSS Score

0.76% (percentile: 73.4%)

CISA KEV

Listed — due 2025-06-03

Description

Null pointer dereference in Windows Ancillary Function Driver for WinSock allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.

FAQ

What privileges could be gained by an attacker who successfully exploited the vulnerability? An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could gain administrator privileges. I am running Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 R2. How do I protect my system from this vulnerability? The protections for this vulnerability are not included in the following May 2025 monthly rollup or security-only updates released on May 13, 2025: Windows Server 2008 R2: KB5058454 (Security-only update) Windows Server 2008 R2: KB5058430 (Monthly Rollup) Windows Server 2008: KB5058429 (Security-only update) Windows Server 2008: KB5058449 (Monthly Rollup) Instead, customers running these versions of Windows Server need to install the following Out-of-Band (OOB) updates, released also on May 13, 2025, as applicable: Windows Server 2008 R2: KB5061195 (Security-only update) Windows Server 2008 R2: KB5061196 (Monthly Rollup) Windows Server 2008: KB5061197 (Security-only update) Windows Server 2008: KB5061198 (Monthly Rollup) Note These OOB updates are cumulative, so if you haven't already installed the May 2025 monthly rollup or security-only updates, you can install the applicable OOB update directly. If you have already installed the May 2025 monthly rollup or security-only updates, you need to also install the OOB updates to be protected from this vulnerability.

Detection & Weaponization (1 sources)

Maturity: Exploit

• GitHub PoC: 1 repositories

Affected Products (37)

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
• Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2
• Windows Server 2008 for 32-bit Systems Service Pack 2 (Server Core installation)
• Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 2
• Windows Server 2008 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 2 (Server Core installation)
• Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1
• Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems Service Pack 1 (Server Core installation)
• Windows Server 2012
• Windows Server 2012 (Server Core installation)
• Windows Server 2012 R2
• Windows Server 2012 R2 (Server Core installation)

Security Updates (16)

• 5058392
• 5058385
• 5058500
• 5058379
• 5058405
• 5058411
• 5058497
• 5058384
• 5058387
• 5058383
• 5061198
• 5061197
• 5061196
• 5061195
• 5058451
• 5058403

Acknowledgments

Anonymous

Revision History

• 2025-05-13: Information published.
• 2025-05-15: In the Security Updates table, added all supported editions of Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2 as they are affected by this vulnerability. Customers running these versions of Windows Server please note that to be protected from this vulnerability you need to install the out-of-band updates as follows: Windows Server 2008 R2: KB5061195 (Security-only update) Windows Server 2008 R2: KB5061196 (Monthly Rollup) Windows Server 2008: KB5061197 (Security-only update) Windows Server 2008: KB5061198 (Monthly Rollup) Please see the Security Updates table and FAQs section for more information.