Overview

The vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-54091 is a critical security flaw in Windows Hyper-V that could potentially be exploited by authorized attackers to elevate their privileges locally. This vulnerability matters because if exploited, it could potentially result in system compromise or data leakage, posing a severe threat to the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected systems.

Vulnerability Summary

CVE ID: CVE-2025-54091
Severity: High (7.8 CVSS Score)
Attack Vector: Local
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: Required
Impact: Unauthorized escalation of privileges potentially leading to system compromise or data leakage.

Affected Products

Product | Affected Versions

Windows Hyper-V | All versions prior to patch

How the Exploit Works

An integer overflow or wraparound in Windows Hyper-V allows an attacker with low-level access to execute malicious actions that would typically require higher privileges. By deliberately causing an integer to overflow or wraparound, the attacker can manipulate the system’s memory and run arbitrary code, effectively elevating their privileges within the system.

Conceptual Example Code

While we won’t provide a real exploit, a conceptual example might look like this:

#include <stdlib.h>
int main() {
int overflow = INT_MAX;
overflow += 2; // overflow happens here, causing unexpected behavior
// Following this, malicious code could be inserted that takes advantage of the elevated privileges
// system("malicious_command");
return 0;
}

In the above pseudocode, a simple integer overflow is demonstrated. The variable `overflow` is set to the maximum value for an integer, and then incremented by 2. This causes the integer to wrap around to a negative value, creating unexpected behavior that can be exploited.
Note: This example is purely illustrative and oversimplified. Real-world exploits would be far more complex and harder to detect.

Mitigation Guidance

Users and administrators are advised to apply the vendor’s patch as soon as possible. Until the patch can be applied, using a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can provide temporary mitigation. Regular monitoring and logging of system activities can also help in identifying any unusual or suspicious activities.