Microsoft Discloses Windows File Explorer and NTFS Elevation of Privilege Flaws
Microsoft published security advisories for two Windows elevation of privilege vulnerabilities affecting core operating system components: Windows File Explorer (CVE-2025-62565) and Windows NTFS (CVE-2025-55335). The flaws were listed in the Microsoft Security Update Guide as separate issues impacting widely deployed Windows functionality tied to file browsing and the NTFS file system.
The advisories provide limited public technical detail, but both issues could allow an attacker with existing access to a vulnerable system to gain higher privileges. Because the affected components are integral to Windows operations, organizations should review Microsoft’s update guidance for the relevant CVEs, prioritize patch deployment across supported Windows assets, and monitor for follow-on research or exploit activity that could increase operational risk.
Get ahead of threats like this
Mallory correlates global threat intelligence with your attack surface — know if you’re exposed before adversaries strike.
How this story unfolded
2 events from the most recent confirmed update back to the earliest known activity.
Microsoft publishes advisory for CVE-2025-62565
Microsoft added CVE-2025-62565, a Windows File Explorer Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability, to its Security Update Guide.
Microsoft publishes advisory for CVE-2025-55335
Microsoft added CVE-2025-55335, a Windows NTFS Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability, to its Security Update Guide.
Sources
2 references tracked. Mallory keeps watching after this page renders.
CVE-2025-62565 - Security Update Guide - Microsoft - Windows File Explorer Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
msrc.microsoft.com
Open sourceCVE-2025-55335 - Security Update Guide - Microsoft - Windows NTFS Elevation of Privilege Vulnerability
msrc.microsoft.com
Open sourceSee the full picture, correlated to your attack surface.
Map indicators from this story to your assets and identify affected systems in minutes.
Every observed campaign, victim, and pivot linked to actors named in this story.
Malware, exploits, and IOCs connected to the activity described here.
YARA, Sigma, and Snort rules deployed to your SIEM as soon as they’re published.
Get matching new stories delivered to your team as they break — not the next morning.
Ask questions about this story and take action on the answers.
Related stories
Other stories Mallory is tracking that overlap on entities, sources, or topic labels.
Microsoft discloses multiple Windows elevation-of-privilege flaws across kernel and core components
Microsoft published security advisories for a series of **Windows elevation-of-privilege** vulnerabilities affecting the **Windows Kernel**, **File Explorer**, **Windows Management Service**, **Windows UI XAML Phone DatePickerFlyout**, **Windows Graphics Component**, **Windows Storage**, and the **DirectX Graphics Kernel**. The referenced flaws include `CVE-2026-26132`, `CVE-2025-62565`, `CVE-2025-54103`, `CVE-2025-54111`, `CVE-2025-55693`, `CVE-2024-38249`, `CVE-2025-62573`, `CVE-2024-38248`, and `CVE-2025-55678`. The disclosures indicate a broad patching effort spanning core operating system subsystems and user-facing Windows components, with repeated exposure in privileged areas such as the kernel and graphics stack. For defenders, the concentration of elevation-of-privilege issues across these components raises the risk that attackers could chain local access or code execution with privilege escalation to gain **SYSTEM-level** or otherwise expanded rights on affected Windows systems, making prompt validation and deployment of Microsoft updates a priority.
May 25, 2026
Microsoft Discloses Windows Elevation of Privilege Vulnerabilities
Microsoft published security advisories for two **Elevation of Privilege** flaws affecting Windows components: `CVE-2026-23660` in **Windows Admin Center in Azure Portal** and `CVE-2025-62472` in **Windows Remote Access Connection Manager**. Both entries were released through Microsoft's Security Update Guide, identifying separate privilege-escalation issues in enterprise-relevant Windows management and connectivity functionality. The disclosures indicate that attackers who successfully exploit the vulnerabilities could gain higher privileges on affected systems, increasing the risk of broader compromise after initial access. Organizations using Windows administrative tooling in Azure environments and systems relying on Remote Access Connection Manager should review Microsoft's advisories, determine exposure to the affected components, and prioritize applicable security updates and mitigation steps.
May 25, 2026
Microsoft discloses multiple elevation-of-privilege flaws across Windows and developer tools
Microsoft published security advisories for several **elevation-of-privilege** vulnerabilities affecting Windows components and related software, including **Microsoft PC Manager** (`CVE-2025-21322`), **Windows Installer** (`CVE-2025-21331`, `CVE-2025-21373`), **Visual Studio** (`CVE-2025-49739`), **.NET** (`CVE-2025-55247`), **Windows Health and Optimized Experiences** (`CVE-2025-59241`), and **Host Process for Windows Tasks** (`CVE-2025-60710`). Microsoft also lists an earlier **Windows Storage** privilege-escalation issue, `CVE-2023-36399`, in its security guidance portal. The advisories provide limited public detail beyond product names and vulnerability class, but the grouping indicates broad exposure across both endpoint and developer environments where successful exploitation could allow an attacker to gain higher privileges on a target system. Organizations using affected Microsoft software should review the corresponding Security Update Guide entries, prioritize patch validation for Windows and developer-tooling assets, and assess whether privilege-escalation paths could be chained with other flaws or post-compromise activity.
May 25, 2026