Cyber Resilience

CVE-2025-59287

RCE in Microsoft Windows Server 2012 r2

CISA KEVActive ExploitationEUVD ExploitedPublic PoCRCEDeserialization
Published
14 October 2025
Modified
12 November 2025
KEV Added
24 October 2025
Patch / advisory
CVSS Score v3.1 9.8
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS Score 0.99 100.0th percentile
Risk Priority 97 floored blend · peak EPSS

Summary

CVE-2025-59287 is a critical-severity Deserialization of Untrusted Data (CWE-502) vulnerability in Microsoft Windows Server 2012. 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 0.0% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; CISA has added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog; a public proof-of-concept is referenced.

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.

CVE-2025-59287 is a critical deserialization of untrusted data vulnerability (CWE-502) in the Windows Server Update Service (WSUS). It enables an unauthorized attacker to execute arbitrary code over a network, earning 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).

The vulnerability can be exploited remotely by any unauthorized attacker with network access to a vulnerable WSUS server, requiring no privileges, user interaction, or special conditions. Successful exploitation grants remote code execution (RCE), potentially allowing full compromise of the server with high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts.

Microsoft's update guide at msrc.microsoft.com provides patching details, while CISA has ordered federal agencies to patch due to active exploitation in attacks, as reported by BleepingComputer. Vicarius offers detection and mitigation scripts for immediate response.

This flaw has seen real-world exploitation, prompting urgent patching directives from CISA.

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

Deserialization of untrusted data in Windows Server Update Service allows an unauthorized attacker to execute code over a network.

CWE(s)
KEV Date Added
24 October 2025

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

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.
T1203 Exploitation for Client Execution Execution
Adversaries may exploit software vulnerabilities in client applications to execute code.
T1210 Exploitation of Remote Services Lateral Movement
Adversaries may exploit remote services to gain unauthorized access to internal systems once inside of a network.
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2023-35317Same product: Microsoft Windows Server 2012
CVE-2018-0824Same product: Microsoft Windows Server 2012both on KEV
CVE-2026-20963Same vendor: Microsoftboth on KEV
CVE-2020-17144Same vendor: Microsoftboth on KEV
CVE-2026-45659Same vendor: Microsoftboth on KEV
CVE-2020-0618Same vendor: Microsoftboth on KEV
CVE-2024-38094Same vendor: Microsoftboth on KEV
CVE-2021-26857Same vendor: Microsoftboth on KEV
CVE-2026-58644Same vendor: Microsoftboth on KEV
CVE-2025-53770Same vendor: Microsoftboth on KEV

Affected Assets

microsoft
windows server 2012
all versions, r2
microsoft
windows server 2016
≤ 10.0.14393.8524
microsoft
windows server 2019
≤ 10.0.17763.7922
microsoft
windows server 2022
≤ 10.0.20348.4297
microsoft
windows server 2022 23h2
≤ 10.0.25398.1916
microsoft
windows server 2025
≤ 10.0.26100.6905

Mitigating Controls

Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI

Developer testing and evaluation can uncover deserialization flaws before deployment.

Input validation directly stops deserialization of untrusted data by ensuring inputs are valid before processing.

Engineering principles such as safe deserialization and input sanitization structurally prevent the weakness from being introduced.

Integrity verification tools can detect malformed or tampered serialized data after the fact.

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-02 none match
prevents

PR.PS-02 addresses only post-deployment updates/patching and cannot prevent introduction of unsafe deserialization code, yet it can remediate some instances when the flaw exists in outdated libraries or components.

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.

finds

Security testing includes validation of deserialization routines and the use of untrusted data, reducing the likelihood that unsafe object reconstruction will be deployed.

prevents

Requiring vetted libraries, regular updates and SAST before release reduces the likelihood that deserialization logic will accept and act on attacker-controlled serialized objects.

finds

Regular scanning of third-party libraries and timely patching reduce the likelihood that unsafe deserialization vulnerabilities remain active.

none

Mandatory malware scanning of data received over networks or storage media intercepts malicious serialized payloads before they are deserialized by the target application.

References