Privilege Escalation in Host Process for Windows Tasks
CVE-2025-60710 is a local privilege escalation vulnerability in Microsoft Windows Host Process for Windows Tasks (Task Host / taskhostw.exe) caused by improper link resolution before file access, i.e., a link-following weakness. The flaw affects Windows 11 and Windows Server 2025. An authorized local attacker with basic user permissions can exploit the vulnerable file-access behavior to redirect operations through a malicious link and cause the Host Process for Windows Tasks to access an unintended target with elevated privileges. Microsoft describes the issue as low complexity, and successful exploitation can result in elevation to SYSTEM.
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Impact, mitigation & remediation
What it means. What to do now. Patch path, mitigations, and the assume-compromise checklist.
Impact
What an attacker gets, and what they’ve been doing with it.
Mitigation
If you can’t patch tonight, do this now.
Remediation
Patch, then assume compromise.
Exploits
2 valid exploits after Mallory filtered fakes, detection scripts, and README-only repos.
This repository contains a proof-of-concept (PoC) exploit for CVE-2025-60710, a local privilege escalation vulnerability in Microsoft Windows. The exploit targets the scheduled task \Microsoft\Windows\WindowsAI\Recall\PolicyConfiguration, which, when triggered, causes the system to delete directories in the user's %LOCALAPPDATA% without proper symlink checks. The exploit is implemented in C++ and consists of several source and header files, with the main logic in 'main.cpp' and 'FileOrFolderDelete.cpp'. The exploit works in two stages: first, it prepares the environment by creating a directory structure and setting up symbolic/junction links. The user is prompted to trigger the vulnerable delete operation (e.g., by starting the scheduled task). After the delete is triggered, the exploit resumes and leverages the SYSTEM context to perform privileged file operations, such as dropping a malicious DLL or manipulating rollback files via MSI installer tricks. The exploit uses Windows APIs for file operations, directory monitoring, and privilege escalation techniques based on file system manipulation. Key fingerprintable endpoints include the user's CoreAIPlatform.00\UKP directory, C:\Config.Msi, and HID.DLL in the Common Files directory. The exploit also interacts with the Windows registry to check for installer folder registration. The repository is structured as a Visual Studio C++ project, with resource files for embedded payloads (MSI, RBS, RBF). The README provides a technical overview and usage instructions, confirming the exploit's purpose and capabilities.
This repository contains a proof-of-concept (PoC) exploit for CVE-2025-60710, a local privilege escalation vulnerability in Microsoft Windows. The exploit targets the scheduled task \Microsoft\Windows\WindowsAI\Recall\PolicyConfiguration, which, when triggered, causes the system to delete directories in the user's %LOCALAPPDATA% without proper symlink checks. The exploit is implemented in C++ and consists of several source and header files, with the main logic in 'main.cpp' and 'FileOrFolderDelete.cpp'. The exploit works in two stages: first, it prepares the environment by creating a directory structure and setting up symbolic/junction links. The user is prompted to trigger the vulnerable delete operation (e.g., by starting the scheduled task). After the delete is triggered, the exploit resumes and leverages the SYSTEM context to perform privileged file operations, such as dropping a malicious DLL or manipulating rollback files via MSI installer tricks. The exploit uses Windows APIs for file operations, directory monitoring, and privilege escalation techniques based on file system manipulation. Key fingerprintable endpoints include the user's CoreAIPlatform.00\UKP directory, C:\Config.Msi, and HID.DLL in the Common Files directory. The exploit also interacts with the Windows registry to check for installer folder registration. The repository is structured as a Visual Studio C++ project, with resource files for embedded payloads (MSI, RBS, RBF). The README provides a technical overview and usage instructions, confirming the exploit's purpose and capabilities.
Affected products & vendors
Products and vendors Mallory has correlated with this vulnerability. Open in Mallory to drill down to specific CPE configurations and version ranges.
Vendor-confirmed product mapping. Mallory continuously reconciles this list against your asset inventory.
Recent activity
25 sources tracked across advisories, community write-ups, and news. New activity surfaces here as Mallory finds it.
A Windows Task Host privilege escalation vulnerability affecting Windows 11 and Windows Server 2025 that allows attackers to gain SYSTEM privileges.
A local privilege escalation vulnerability in Windows Task Host caused by improper link resolution before file access (link following), allowing an authorized attacker with basic user permissions to gain SYSTEM privileges.
A Windows link-following vulnerability that could facilitate privilege escalation.
A link following vulnerability affecting Microsoft Windows.
The version that knows your environment.
Query your assets running an affected version, and investigate the blast radius.
Every observed campaign linking this CVE to a named adversary.
Malware families riding this exploit, with evidence and IOCs.
YARA, Sigma, Snort, and vendor rules, auto-deployed to your SIEM.
Cross-references every affected SKU, including bundled OEM variants.
Community discussion across Reddit, Mastodon, and other social sources.