Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
This is a Windows local privilege escalation flaw in the Ancillary Function Driver for WinSock. An attacker who already has low-level local access could potentially gain higher privileges. It is not described as remotely exploitable, but it matters because it can help an intruder deepen control after initial compromise.
Executive priority
Treat as a high-priority patching item, especially for servers and multi-user endpoints. It is not presented as internet-exploitable or actively exploited, but successful abuse could give an attacker full system-level impact after gaining local access.
Technical view
CVE-2026-25179 is an improper input validation issue, CWE-1287, in the Windows Ancillary Function Driver for WinSock. Microsoft rates it High with CVSS 7.0. The vector is local, high complexity, low privileges required, no user interaction, and high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact.
Likely exposure
Exposure is broad across listed Windows client and server versions, including Windows 10, Windows 11, Windows Server 2012 through 2025, and Server Core variants. Systems are relevant if they run an affected build and have not received Microsoft’s security update for this CVE.
Exploitation context
The provided sources do not show active exploitation. The CVSS vector lists exploit code maturity as unproven. Because exploitation requires local authenticated access and high complexity, this is most concerning as part of a post-compromise escalation chain.
Researcher notes
Key constraints are local attack vector, low privileges required, no user interaction, and high attack complexity. Public source detail is limited to Microsoft and CVE metadata; no safe technical root-cause details, exploit procedure, or workaround information is provided in the bundle.
Mitigation direction
- Apply the Microsoft security update referenced in the MSRC advisory.
- Prioritize servers, shared workstations, and systems exposed to untrusted local users.
- Confirm extended support or update availability for older Windows Server versions.
- If patching is delayed, monitor vendor guidance for supported mitigations.
Validation and detection
- Inventory Windows versions and builds against the affected product list.
- Check patch management records for the Microsoft update covering CVE-2026-25179.
- Validate that Server Core installations are included in assessment scope.
- Review endpoint detections for suspicious local privilege escalation behavior.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-1287: Exact CWE lookup
Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupPrivilege behavior lookup
The CVE wording references privilege impact, so privilege escalation and authorization behavior review may help. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2026-25179 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- High
- CVSS
- 7 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:U/RL:O/RC:C
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:U/RL:O/RC:C15.9Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
7HighVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:U/RL:O/RC:C
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- Windows Ancillary Function Driver for WinSock Elevation of Privilege VulnerabilityCVE reference · vendor-advisory, patch
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Improper Validation of Specified Type of Input
Improper Validation of Specified Type of Input represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.