Cyber Posture

CVE-2025-53131

High

Published: 12 August 2025

Published
12 August 2025
Modified
19 August 2025
KEV Added
Patch
CVSS Score 8.8 CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS Score 0.0030 53.5th percentile
Risk Priority 18 60% EPSS · 20% KEV · 20% CVSS

Summary

CVE-2025-53131 is a high-severity Heap-based Buffer Overflow (CWE-122) vulnerability in Microsoft Windows 10 1809. Its CVSS base score is 8.8 (High).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Malicious File (T1204.002); ranked in the top 46.5% 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).

Threat & Defense at a Glance

What attackers do: exploitation maps to Malicious File (T1204.002). What defenders deploy: see the NIST 800-53 controls recommended below.
Threat & Defense Details

Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5)AI

prevent

Requires timely remediation through vendor patches to eliminate the heap-based buffer overflow in Windows Media, preventing arbitrary code execution.

prevent

Enforces memory protections such as ASLR and DEP to block unauthorized code execution from heap buffer overflow exploits in Windows Media.

preventdetect

Deploys malicious code protection tools to scan for and prevent execution of malicious media files exploiting the Windows Media buffer overflow.

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise TechniquesAI

T1204.002 Malicious File Execution
An adversary may rely upon a user opening a malicious file in order to gain execution.
Why these techniques?

Heap buffer overflow in Windows Media enables RCE via opening a malicious file (user interaction required), directly facilitating T1204.002.

Confidence: MEDIUM · MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise v18.1

NVD Description

Heap-based buffer overflow in Windows Media allows an unauthorized attacker to execute code over a network.

Deeper analysisAI

CVE-2025-53131 is a heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability, classified under CWE-122, affecting the Windows Media component. Published on 2025-08-12T18:15:36.723, it carries a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.8 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H), indicating high severity due to its potential for significant impact.

An unauthorized attacker (PR:N) can exploit this vulnerability over the network (AV:N) with low attack complexity (AC:L), though it requires user interaction (UI:R), such as opening a malicious file. Successful exploitation allows arbitrary code execution in the context of the affected process, resulting in high impacts to confidentiality, integrity, and availability (C:H/I:H/A:H) without changing the scope (S:U).

Microsoft's advisory provides details on mitigation and patching; refer to https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2025-53131 for guidance.

Details

CWE(s)

Affected Products

microsoft
windows 10 1809
≤ 10.0.17763.7678 · ≤ 10.0.17763.7678
microsoft
windows 10 21h2
≤ 10.0.19044.6216
microsoft
windows 10 22h2
≤ 10.0.19045.6216
microsoft
windows 11 22h2
≤ 10.0.22621.5768
microsoft
windows 11 23h2
≤ 10.0.22631.5768
microsoft
windows 11 24h2
≤ 10.0.26100.4851
microsoft
windows server 2019
≤ 10.0.17763.7678
microsoft
windows server 2022
≤ 10.0.20348.3989
microsoft
windows server 2022 23h2
≤ 10.0.25398.1791
microsoft
windows server 2025
≤ 10.0.26100.4851

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References