CVE-2025-53804
📋 TL;DR
This Windows Kernel vulnerability allows an authenticated attacker with local access to a system to read sensitive information they shouldn't have access to. It affects Windows systems where an authorized user could exploit kernel memory disclosure. This is an information disclosure issue that could expose kernel memory contents.
💻 Affected Systems
- Windows Kernel
📦 What is this software?
Windows 10 1507 by Microsoft
Windows 10 1507 by Microsoft
Windows 10 1607 by Microsoft
Windows 10 1607 by Microsoft
Windows 10 1809 by Microsoft
Windows 10 1809 by Microsoft
Windows 10 21h2 by Microsoft
Windows 10 22h2 by Microsoft
Windows 11 22h2 by Microsoft
Windows 11 23h2 by Microsoft
Windows 11 24h2 by Microsoft
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
An authenticated attacker could read kernel memory containing sensitive data like passwords, encryption keys, or other system secrets, potentially enabling further attacks.
Likely Case
Local authenticated user reads portions of kernel memory, potentially obtaining information useful for privilege escalation or other attacks.
If Mitigated
With proper access controls and monitoring, impact is limited to authorized users who would already have some system access.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires local authenticated access and kernel-level exploitation knowledge. No public exploit code known.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Check Microsoft's monthly security updates for specific KB number
Vendor Advisory: https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2025-53804
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Apply latest Windows security updates from Microsoft. 2. Install the specific KB patch mentioned in Microsoft's advisory. 3. Restart the system as required by kernel updates.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict Local Access
WindowsLimit local interactive logon rights to trusted users only
Enable Auditing
WindowsEnable detailed auditing for kernel object access to detect potential exploitation attempts
auditpol /set /subcategory:"Kernel Object" /success:enable /failure:enable
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict principle of least privilege for local user accounts
- Monitor for unusual local user activity and kernel access patterns
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Windows version and compare against Microsoft's affected versions list in the advisoryCheck Version:
systeminfo | findstr /B /C:"OS Name" /C:"OS Version"Verify Fix Applied:
Verify Windows Update history shows the relevant security update installed and system has been restarted📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual kernel object access by non-privileged users
- Failed attempts to access kernel memory regions
Network Indicators:
- None - this is a local exploit only
SIEM Query:
EventID=4656 AND ObjectType="Key" AND AccessMask="0x20" | where user not in ("SYSTEM", "LOCAL SERVICE", "NETWORK SERVICE")