CVE-2025-21370
Published: 14 January 2025
Summary
CVE-2025-21370 is a high-severity Improper Input Validation (CWE-20) vulnerability in Microsoft Windows 11 22H2. 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 30.6% 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-10 (Information Input Validation) and SI-2 (Flaw Remediation).
Threat & Defense at a Glance
Threat & Defense Details
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5)AI
Directly addresses the CWE-20 improper input validation flaw in the VBS Enclave by requiring validation of inputs to prevent local privilege escalation.
Ensures timely flaw remediation through patching of the specific CVE-2025-21370 vulnerability in Windows VBS Enclave as provided by Microsoft updates.
Enforces least privilege to restrict the actions a low-privilege local attacker can perform prior to attempting exploitation of the VBS Enclave vulnerability.
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise TechniquesAI
Why these techniques?
Direct EoP vulnerability in VBS Enclave component allowing local low-privileged attackers to elevate privileges via improper input validation.
NVD Description
Windows Virtualization-Based Security (VBS) Enclave Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
Deeper analysisAI
CVE-2025-21370 is a Windows Virtualization-Based Security (VBS) Enclave Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability. It affects the VBS Enclave component in Windows systems that utilize virtualization-based security features. The vulnerability has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.8 (AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H) and is associated with CWE-20 (Improper Input Validation), as indicated by NVD-CWE-noinfo. It was published on 2025-01-14.
A local attacker with low privileges can exploit this vulnerability through low-complexity techniques requiring no user interaction. Successful exploitation enables elevation of privileges, resulting in high impacts to confidentiality, integrity, and availability within the affected scope.
Microsoft's Security Response Center provides an update guide for mitigation details at https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2025-21370.
Details
- CWE(s)