CVE-2025-21180
Published: 11 March 2025
Summary
CVE-2025-21180 is a high-severity Heap-based Buffer Overflow (CWE-122) vulnerability in Microsoft Windows Server 2008. Its CVSS base score is 7.8 (High).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploitation for Privilege Escalation (T1068); ranked in the top 38.8% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
The strongest mitigations our analysis identified are NIST 800-53 SI-16 (Memory Protection) and SI-2 (Flaw Remediation).
Deeper analysis
CVE-2025-21180, published on 2025-03-11, is a heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability (CWE-122) in the Windows exFAT File System. It carries a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.8 (AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H) and affects Windows systems that support the exFAT file system.
An unauthorized attacker with local access can exploit the vulnerability by tricking a user into an action that triggers the buffer overflow, such as interacting with a malicious exFAT-formatted storage device or file. Successful exploitation enables the attacker to execute arbitrary code locally with high impacts on confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
Microsoft's Security Update Guide at https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2025-21180 provides details on available patches and mitigation steps.
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2025-6350
Vulnerability details
Heap-based buffer overflow in Windows exFAT File System allows an unauthorized attacker to execute code locally.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise TechniquesAI
Why these techniques?
Heap buffer overflow in kernel-mode exFAT driver enables arbitrary code execution via malicious file/device with user interaction, directly mapping to privilege escalation via OS/kernel exploit (T1068) and user execution of malicious file (T1204.002).
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI
Directly remediates the heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability in the Windows exFAT File System through timely application of vendor patches.
Implements memory protections like ASLR, DEP, and control flow guard that prevent arbitrary code execution even if the buffer overflow is triggered.
Requires validation of inputs from exFAT-formatted storage devices to mitigate buffer overflows caused by malformed file system structures.