CVE-2026-25166: Windows System Image Manager Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK) Remote Code Execution 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
Remote Code Execution
Exploit Status
Not Exploited
Exploitation Likelihood
Unlikely
Patch Tuesday
2026-Mar
Released
2026-03-10
EPSS Score
0.50% (percentile: 66.0%)

Description

Deserialization of untrusted data in Windows System Image Manager allows an authorized attacker to execute code locally.

FAQ

According to the CVSS metric, the attack vector is local (AV:L). Why does the CVE title indicate that this is a remote code execution? The word Remote in the title refers to the location of the attacker. This type of exploit is sometimes referred to as Arbitrary Code Execution (ACE). The attack itself is carried out locally. This means an attacker or victim needs to execute code from the local machine to exploit the vulnerability. According to the CVSS metric, privileges required is low (PR:L). What does that mean for this vulnerability? Any authenticated attacker could trigger this vulnerability. It does not require admin or other elevated privileges.

Affected Products (5)

Developer Tools

  • Windows ADK for Windows 11, version 24H2
  • Windows ADK for Windows 11, version 23H2
  • Windows ADK for Windows 11, version 22H2
  • Windows ADK for Windows Server 2022
  • Windows ADK for Windows 10, version 2004

Acknowledgments

Tim Baker with <a href="https://www.dotsec.com/">dotSec</a>

Revision History

  • 2026-03-10: Information published.