Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HSummary
CVE-2025-21182 is a high-severity Double Free (CWE-415) vulnerability in Microsoft Windows 11 24H2. Its CVSS base score is 7.4 (High).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploitation for Client Execution (T1203); ranked at the 42th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to SA-11 (Developer Testing and Evaluation) and SA-8 (Security and Privacy Engineering Principles) — see the control section below for these in your framework.
Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary
Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.
CVE-2025-21182 is an Elevation of Privilege vulnerability in the Windows Resilient File System (ReFS) Deduplication Service. It affects Windows systems utilizing ReFS with deduplication enabled, allowing attackers to exploit a flaw that leads to privilege escalation. The vulnerability has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.4 (High), with vector AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H, and is associated with CWE-415.
A local attacker with no privileges required can exploit this vulnerability, though it demands high attack complexity and no user interaction. Successful exploitation enables the attacker to gain elevated privileges, resulting in high impacts on confidentiality, integrity, and availability within the unchanged scope.
Microsoft's Security Response Center provides an update guide at https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2025-21182, recommending the application of available security updates to mitigate the issue.
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2025-2261
Vulnerability Data
Windows Resilient File System (ReFS) Deduplication Service Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Control response
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- 1 hardening rule · 1 OS baseline
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Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI
Developer testing and evaluation explicitly includes dynamic analysis and fuzzing that locate double-free defects before release.
Security engineering principles can require memory-safe allocation patterns or language features that structurally eliminate double-free opportunities.
Flaw remediation processes require identification and correction of memory-management defects such as double free once discovered.
Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Secure SDLC practices directly prevent double-free errors via static analysis, safe memory APIs, and testing.
Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Security testing in development can detect double-free conditions before release.
Secure development life cycle includes memory-safety practices that can prevent double-free bugs.
Application security requirements can mandate memory-safety rules that reduce double-free risk.
Secure system architecture and engineering principles can prescribe safe memory-management patterns.
Secure coding standards directly address proper use of free() and similar functions.
Hardening callouts derived
Configuration rules from DISA STIG baselines that bear on weaknesses of the type cited by this CVE. Each rule is shown with the relationship its mapping actually records, against the CWE it was authored against. Derived via CVE→CWE over `controls_xwalks` (authoritative rows only; rows rated `none` are excluded).
Oracle Linux 8 (1 rule)
- V-248590 OL 8 must clear the page allocator to prevent use-after-free attacks. prevents CWE-415