Cyber Resilience

CVE-2025-27481

Memory Safety in Microsoft Windows Server 2008 r2

Memory Safety
Published
08 April 2025
Modified
08 July 2025
Patch / advisory
View advisory
CVSS Score v3.1 8.8
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS Score 0.012 64th percentile
Risk Priority 66 floored blend · peak EPSS

Summary

CVE-2025-27481 is a high-severity Stack-based Buffer Overflow (CWE-121) vulnerability in Microsoft Windows Server 2008. Its CVSS base score is 8.8 (High).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploitation for Privilege Escalation (T1068); ranked in the top 36% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; 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 SI-10 (Information Input Validation) — 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.

A stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2025-27481 and assigned CWE-121, affects the Windows Telephony Service. The flaw carries a CVSS 3.1 score of 8.8 and permits remote code execution when triggered over a network.

An unauthorized attacker can exploit the issue without authentication, though the attack requires user interaction. Successful exploitation grants the attacker the ability to execute arbitrary code with impacts to confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

The Microsoft Security Response Center advisory at https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2025-27481 supplies official mitigation and patching guidance for the affected Windows component. The associated EPSS score remains low, with a current value of 0.0063 and a recorded peak of 0.0110.

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

Stack-based buffer overflow in Windows Telephony Service allows an unauthorized attacker to execute code over a network.

CWE(s)
CWE-121

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1068 Exploitation for Privilege Escalation Privilege Escalation
Adversaries may exploit software vulnerabilities in an attempt to elevate privileges.
attack.mitre.org →
T1190 Exploit Public-Facing Application Initial Access
Adversaries may attempt to exploit a weakness in an Internet-facing host or system to initially access a network.
attack.mitre.org →
T1203 Exploitation for Client Execution Execution
Adversaries may exploit software vulnerabilities in client applications to execute code.
attack.mitre.org →
T1210 Exploitation of Remote Services Lateral Movement
Adversaries may exploit remote services to gain unauthorized access to internal systems once inside of a network.
attack.mitre.org →
T1212 Exploitation for Credential Access Credential Access
Adversaries may exploit software vulnerabilities in an attempt to collect credentials.
attack.mitre.org →
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2025-54099Same product: Microsoft Windows 10 1507
CVE-2025-54916Same product: Microsoft Windows 10 1507
CVE-2025-24052Same product: Microsoft Windows 10 1507
CVE-2025-26688Same product: Microsoft Windows 10 1507
CVE-2024-28925Same product: Microsoft Windows 10 1507
CVE-2024-28924Same product: Microsoft Windows 10 1507
CVE-2023-36006Same product: Microsoft Windows 10 1507
CVE-2024-37971Same product: Microsoft Windows 10 1507
CVE-2024-26180Same product: Microsoft Windows 10 1507
CVE-2024-28898Same product: Microsoft Windows 10 1507

Affected Assets

microsoft
windows 10 1507
≤ 10.0.10240.20978 · ≤ 10.0.10240.20978
microsoft
windows 10 1607
≤ 10.0.14393.7969 · ≤ 10.0.14393.7969
microsoft
windows 10 1809
≤ 10.0.17763.7136 · ≤ 10.0.17763.7136
microsoft
windows 10 21h2
≤ 10.0.19044.5737
microsoft
windows 10 22h2
≤ 10.0.19045.5737
microsoft
windows 11 22h2
≤ 10.0.22621.5189
microsoft
windows 11 23h2
≤ 10.0.22631.5189
microsoft
windows 11 24h2
≤ 10.0.26100.3775
microsoft
windows server 2008
all versions, r2
microsoft
windows server 2012
all versions, r2
+5 more product configuration(s) — see NVD for full list

Mitigating Controls

Control response

Prevent
Stop it (NIST 800-53)

—

Detect
Catch it (NIST detect / respond)

—

Harden
Shrink the surface (DISA STIG)
  • 2 hardening rules · 2 OS baselines
Validate
Prove the fix (OWASP ASVS)

—

Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI

SA-11 Developer Testing and Evaluation good match

Developer testing and analysis can discover stack-buffer overflows before deployment.

SI-10 Information Input Validation good match

Input validation directly stops untrusted data from exceeding stack buffer bounds.

SI-16 Memory Protection good match

Memory-protection mechanisms limit the ability to execute injected code after a stack overflow.

SA-8 Security and Privacy Engineering Principles partial match

Secure-engineering principles include bounds-checked coding and safe buffer handling that avoid introducing the flaw.

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.

PR.PS-06 mostly match
prevents

Secure-development practices directly prevent introduction of stack buffer overflows.

ID.RA-01 partial match
prevents

Vulnerability scanning can discover stack buffer overflows but does not prevent their introduction.

PR.PS-02 partial match
prevents

Patching eliminates known instances of the weakness after discovery.

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.

A.8.29 Security testing in development and acceptance mostly match
finds

Security testing (fuzzing, static analysis) detects stack overflows before release.

A.8.25 Secure development life cycle partial match
prevents

Secure SDLC mandates buffer-safety practices that directly prevent stack overflows.

A.8.26 Application security requirements partial match
prevents

Application security requirements can specify buffer-size and input-validation rules.

A.8.27 Secure system architecture and engineering principles partial match
prevents

Secure architecture principles include memory-safety and least-privilege stack usage.

A.8.28 Secure coding partial match
prevents

Secure coding standards explicitly forbid unsafe buffer handling that causes CWE-121.

A.8.32 Change management none match
none

Change-management gates can enforce security reviews that catch buffer issues.

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-248594 OL 8 must implement address space layout randomization (ASLR) to protect its memory from unauthorized code execution. prevents CWE-121
Oracle Linux 9 (1 rule)
  • V-271452 OL 9 must use a Linux Security Module configured to enforce limits on system services. prevents CWE-121

References