CVE-2025-50168: Type Confusion Vulnerability in Windows Win32K – ICOMP

Overview

CVE-2025-50168 is a severe vulnerability in the Windows Win32K – ICOMP component, which can potentially lead to full system compromise. It is a form of ‘type confusion’ vulnerability, where an attacker can exploit the system by making it access a resource using an incompatible type. This vulnerability affects users of the Windows operating system and is of high significance due to its capacity to allow an authorized attacker to escalate privileges locally, potentially leading to system compromise and data leakage.

Vulnerability Summary

CVE ID: CVE-2025-50168
Severity: High (CVSS: 7.8)
Attack Vector: Local
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: Required
Impact: System compromise and potential data leakage

Affected Products

Product | Affected Versions

Windows | Win32K – ICOMP

How the Exploit Works

The attacker, already having low-level access, uses the type confusion vulnerability to trick the system into accessing a resource using an incompatible type. This happens in the Windows Win32K – ICOMP component. As a result, the system behaves unpredictably, which can be manipulated by the attacker to escalate their privileges. This privilege escalation can potentially lead to full system compromise, including unauthorized access to sensitive data, installation of malicious software, and total control over the affected system.

Conceptual Example Code

While the actual exploit code would be dependent on the specific implementation details, a conceptual example might look like this:

# Assume we have access to the low-level system
low_level_access = get_low_level_access()
# Create a type confusion object, using the Win32K - ICOMP component
type_confusion = create_type_confusion(low_level_access, "Win32K - ICOMP")
# Use the type confusion object to escalate privileges
escalated_privileges = type_confusion.escalate_privileges()
# Now we have high-level access
high_level_access = get_high_level_access(escalated_privileges)
# We can now compromise the system
compromise_system(high_level_access)

This example code outlines the basic steps of exploiting a type confusion vulnerability for privilege escalation. This vulnerability is not trivial to exploit but can have serious consequences when successfully executed.