{"id":79397,"date":"2025-10-01T09:27:07","date_gmt":"2025-10-01T09:27:07","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2025-10-28T12:32:42","modified_gmt":"2025-10-28T18:32:42","slug":"cve-2025-53141-null-pointer-dereference-in-windows-ancillary-function-driver-for-winsock","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ameeba.com\/blog\/cve-2025-53141-null-pointer-dereference-in-windows-ancillary-function-driver-for-winsock\/","title":{"rendered":"CVE-2025-53141: Null Pointer Dereference in Windows Ancillary Function Driver for WinSock<\/strong>"},"content":{"rendered":"

Overview<\/strong><\/p>\n

The vulnerability in focus, CVE-2025-53141, is a serious security flaw found in the Windows Ancillary Function Driver for WinSock (AFD). The AFD is a crucial part of the Windows networking subsystem, allowing applications to access network services. This vulnerability enables an attacker who has already gained restricted access<\/a> to the system to escalate their privileges, potentially leading to system compromise or data leakage. This vulnerability matters because of the wide prevalence of Windows<\/a> systems across the globe and the potential for significant damage if exploited.<\/p>\n

Vulnerability Summary<\/strong><\/p>\n

CVE ID: CVE-2025-53141
\nSeverity: High (7.8)
\nAttack Vector: Local
\nPrivileges Required: Low
\nUser Interaction: None
\nImpact: System compromise or data<\/a> leakage<\/p>\n

Affected Products<\/strong><\/p>\n

Product | Affected Versions<\/p>\n

Windows Ancillary Function Driver<\/a> for WinSock | All versions prior to the patch<\/p>\n

How the Exploit Works<\/strong><\/p>\n

At its core, CVE-2025-53141 is a null pointer dereference vulnerability<\/a>. This indicates that the Windows AFD is attempting to access memory using a pointer that hasn’t been properly initialized. In certain conditions, an attacker could manipulate this flaw to run arbitrary code<\/a> in the kernel. This would provide the attacker with the same access level as the system’s kernel, leading to a potential system<\/a> compromise or data leakage.<\/p>\n

Conceptual Example Code<\/strong><\/p>\n

The following pseudocode illustrates a conceptual exploitation of this vulnerability:<\/a><\/p>\n

\/\/ Initialization of the faulty pointer\nAFD_POINTER* faultyPointer = NULL;\n\/\/ Some code here...\n\/\/ The attacker manages to control the code flow here due to another vulnerability\ngoto faultyDereference;\n\/\/ Some code here...\n\/\/ The pointer is meant to be initialized here but the attacker's action bypasses it\nfaultyPointer = &someObject;\nfaultyDereference:\n\/\/ Null pointer dereference happens here leading to undefined behavior which can be exploited\nfaultyPointer->operation();<\/code><\/pre>\n
It’s important to note that this is a simple representation of how an attacker could potentially exploit this vulnerability<\/a>. The actual exploitation would likely be more complex and require a deep understanding of Windows internals.<\/p>\n
Recommended Mitigation<\/strong><\/p>\n
The mitigation guidance for this vulnerability is to apply the patch provided by the vendor. Until the patch can be applied, a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or an Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can be used as temporary mitigation. These systems can detect and block attempts to exploit this vulnerability<\/a>, providing a stop-gap measure until a more permanent solution can be implemented.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Overview The vulnerability in focus, CVE-2025-53141, is a serious security flaw found in the Windows Ancillary Function Driver for WinSock (AFD). The AFD is a crucial part of the Windows networking subsystem, allowing applications to access network services. This vulnerability enables an attacker who has already gained restricted access to the system to escalate their […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"vendor":[88,82],"product":[95],"attack_vector":[],"asset_type":[],"severity":[],"exploit_status":[],"class_list":["post-79397","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","vendor-linux","vendor-microsoft","product-linux-kernel"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t