Description
Concurrent execution using shared resource with improper synchronization ('race condition') in Windows Shell allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
Published: 2025-12-09
Score: 7.8 High
EPSS: < 1% Very Low
KEV: No
Impact: Local Privilege Escalation
Action: Apply Patch
AI Analysis

Impact

This vulnerability is a race condition in the Windows Shell that permits an authorized user to elevate their local privileges. The flaw is a classic concurrency issue (CWE‑362) in which improper synchronization of a shared resource allows privilege escalation to happen without authentication or remote access.

Affected Systems

Affected Microsoft products include Windows 10 releases 1607, 1809, 21H2, 22H2; Windows 11 releases 23H2, 24H2, 25H2, 22H3; and Windows Server editions 2016, 2019, 2022, 2025, including Server Core installations. All listed x86, x64, arm64 architectures are vulnerable.

Risk and Exploitability

The CVSS score of 7.8 indicates high severity, yet the EPSS score is below 1%, suggesting a low probability of exploitation in the wild, and the vulnerability is not in the CISA KEV catalog. The attack vector is inferred to be local: an attacker must have some level of authorized system access to trigger the race condition within the Windows Shell. No public exploit has been disclosed, but the described conditions imply that any routine operation that invokes the Windows Shell could be abused to gain elevated privileges.

Generated by OpenCVE AI on April 20, 2026 at 15:42 UTC.

Remediation

No vendor fix or workaround currently provided.

OpenCVE Recommended Actions

  • Apply the latest Microsoft Windows update that addresses CVE-2025-64661 as directed by the Microsoft Security Response Center.
  • Limit user permissions so that only trusted administrators can launch or interact with the Windows Shell process; apply the principle of least privilege to all users with potential shell access.
  • Disable or restrict automated scripts or applications that invoke the Windows Shell when unnecessary, and monitor event logs for unexpected elevation attempts.

Generated by OpenCVE AI on April 20, 2026 at 15:42 UTC.

Tracking

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Advisories

No advisories yet.

History

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 19:15:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Microsoft windows 10 21h2
Microsoft windows 10 22h2
Microsoft windows 11 23h2
Microsoft windows 11 24h2
Microsoft windows 11 25h2
Microsoft windows Server 2022 23h2
CPEs cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_10_1607:*:*:*:*:*:*:x64:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_10_1809:*:*:*:*:*:*:x64:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_10_21h2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_10_22h2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_11_23h2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_11_24h2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_11_25h2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2022_23h2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Microsoft windows 10 21h2
Microsoft windows 10 22h2
Microsoft windows 11 23h2
Microsoft windows 11 24h2
Microsoft windows 11 25h2
Microsoft windows Server 2022 23h2

Tue, 09 Dec 2025 21:15:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'no', 'Exploitation': 'none', 'Technical Impact': 'total'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}

Tue, 09 Dec 2025 18:15:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description Concurrent execution using shared resource with improper synchronization ('race condition') in Windows Shell allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
Title Windows Shell Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
First Time appeared Microsoft
Microsoft windows 10 1607
Microsoft windows 10 1809
Microsoft windows 10 21h2
Microsoft windows 10 22h2
Microsoft windows 11 23h2
Microsoft windows 11 24h2
Microsoft windows 11 25h2
Microsoft windows Server 2016
Microsoft windows Server 2019
Microsoft windows Server 2022
Microsoft windows Server 2025
Microsoft windows Server 23h2
Weaknesses CWE-362
CPEs cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_10_1607:*:*:*:*:*:*:x86:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_10_1809:*:*:*:*:*:*:x86:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_10_21H2:*:*:*:*:*:*:x86:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_10_22H2:*:*:*:*:*:*:x64:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_11_23H2:*:*:*:*:*:*:arm64:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_11_23H2:*:*:*:*:*:*:x64:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_11_24H2:*:*:*:*:*:*:arm64:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_11_25H2:*:*:*:*:*:*:arm64:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2016:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2019:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2022:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_2025:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:microsoft:windows_server_23h2:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Microsoft
Microsoft windows 10 1607
Microsoft windows 10 1809
Microsoft windows 10 21h2
Microsoft windows 10 22h2
Microsoft windows 11 23h2
Microsoft windows 11 24h2
Microsoft windows 11 25h2
Microsoft windows Server 2016
Microsoft windows Server 2019
Microsoft windows Server 2022
Microsoft windows Server 2025
Microsoft windows Server 23h2
References
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 7.8, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:U/RL:O/RC:C'}

Subscriptions

Microsoft Windows 10 1607 Windows 10 1809 Windows 10 21h2 Windows 10 21h2 Windows 10 22h2 Windows 10 22h2 Windows 11 23h2 Windows 11 23h2 Windows 11 24h2 Windows 11 24h2 Windows 11 25h2 Windows 11 25h2 Windows Server 2016 Windows Server 2019 Windows Server 2022 Windows Server 2022 23h2 Windows Server 2025 Windows Server 23h2
cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: microsoft

Published:

Updated: 2026-04-16T14:18:58.138Z

Reserved: 2025-11-06T23:40:37.275Z

Link: CVE-2025-64661

cve-icon Vulnrichment

Updated: 2025-12-09T20:12:36.275Z

cve-icon NVD

Status : Analyzed

Published: 2025-12-09T18:16:05.740

Modified: 2025-12-10T19:10:55.013

Link: CVE-2025-64661

cve-icon Redhat

No data.

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

Updated: 2026-04-20T15:45:10Z

Weaknesses