CVE-2025-48806: Microsoft MPEG-2 Video Extension Use-After-Free Vulnerability

Overview

The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) system has identified a significant flaw in the Microsoft MPEG-2 Video Extension. This vulnerability, known as CVE-2025-48806, poses a serious threat to system integrity and data security by allowing an authorized attacker to execute code locally. Given the ubiquitous usage of Microsoft products across the globe, this vulnerability has the potential to affect a vast number of systems, underscoring the urgency for appropriate mitigation measures.

Vulnerability Summary

CVE ID: CVE-2025-48806
Severity: High (CVSS score: 7.8)
Attack Vector: Local
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: Required
Impact: Potential system compromise and data leakage

Affected Products

Product | Affected Versions

Microsoft MPEG-2 Video Extension | All versions prior to patch

How the Exploit Works

This vulnerability stems from a use-after-free condition, a type of memory corruption error that occurs when a program continues to use a pointer after it has been freed. In the case of CVE-2025-48806, the Microsoft MPEG-2 Video Extension doesn’t correctly handle memory objects, allowing an attacker to manipulate the application’s memory and execute arbitrary code.
The exploitation process typically involves the attacker triggering a condition in which the application frees a memory object but does not nullify the pointer to it. The attacker then reallocates this memory, placing their malicious code inside. When the application references the stale pointer, it ends up executing the attacker’s code.

Conceptual Example Code

Although the specific details of this exploit are proprietary, the following pseudocode provides a rough idea of how this vulnerability might be exploited:

// Allocate memory for object
object* obj = malloc(sizeof(object));
// Use the object
use(obj);
// Free the object
free(obj);
// Malicious attacker reallocates the memory
object* malicious_obj = malloc(sizeof(object));
malicious_obj->code = malicious_code;
// Application uses the stale pointer, executing the malicious code
use(obj);

In this example, `use(obj);` represents a point in the application’s code where the freed memory is erroneously accessed. The `malicious_obj->code = malicious_code;` line indicates where the attacker inserts their malicious code into the reallocated memory.

Mitigation Guidance

Users and administrators are advised to apply the vendor-released patch as soon as possible to mitigate this vulnerability. If immediate patching is not feasible, the use of a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can provide temporary protection by monitoring and potentially blocking malicious activity. However, these measures do not rectify the underlying vulnerability and should only be considered as stopgap solutions until the patch can be applied.
Regularly updating and patching software is a best practice in cybersecurity, and this case serves as a reminder of the importance of such measures. Users are also encouraged to follow the principle of least privilege, limiting the potential attack surface and reducing the risk of exploitation.