CVE-2025-53766
Published: 12 August 2025
Summary
CVE-2025-53766 is a critical-severity Heap-based Buffer Overflow (CWE-122) vulnerability in Microsoft Windows Server 2008. Its CVSS base score is 9.8 (Critical).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploit Public-Facing Application (T1190); ranked in the top 19.2% 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
Threat & Defense Details
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5)AI
Directly remediates the heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability in Windows GDI+ by requiring timely identification, reporting, and correction via vendor patches.
Provides system-level memory protections such as ASLR and DEP to prevent successful exploitation of the heap buffer overflow for arbitrary code execution.
Validates information inputs to GDI+ components to block malformed data that triggers the remote heap-based buffer overflow.
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise TechniquesAI
Why these techniques?
Remote unauthenticated heap buffer overflow enabling arbitrary code execution directly maps to exploitation of public-facing or network-reachable applications.
NVD Description
Heap-based buffer overflow in Windows GDI+ allows an unauthorized attacker to execute code over a network.
Deeper analysisAI
CVE-2025-53766 is a heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability (CWE-122) in the Windows GDI+ component. Published on 2025-08-12T18:15:45.400, it carries a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H), marking it as critical due to its potential for severe impact.
An unauthorized attacker can exploit this vulnerability remotely over a network with low attack complexity, requiring no privileges or user interaction. Successful exploitation enables arbitrary code execution on the target system.
Microsoft's update guide at https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2025-53766 provides details on associated advisories and patches for mitigation.
Details
- CWE(s)