CVE-2025-30400: Microsoft Windows DWM Core Library Use-After-Free Vulnerability
Microsoft · Windows · NVD published 2025-05-13 · posted 2025-05-13 · last modified 2026-06-17
What it is
Use after free in Windows DWM allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally.
| Weakness | CWE-416 |
|---|---|
| CVSS vector | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H (source: [email protected]) |
| CISA due date | 2025-06-03 (for US federal agencies under BOD; a good deadline for everyone) |
| ATT&CK tactics | Persistence → Defense Impairment → Privilege Escalation |
Exploitation evidence
First exploit evidence seen: 2025-05-13 (earliest date across the sources below).
Exploited in the wild
- CISA KEV: listed since 2025-05-13. Source
Public exploit code
GitHub proof-of-concept repositories below quality bar
1 public repositories from 1 accounts, first seen 2025-05-23.
Verify before running: public PoCs can be malicious. Read the code and only run it in an isolated lab. A PoC means exploit code is public, not that this CVE is exploited in the wild.
Sources: CISA KEV · nomi-sec/PoC-in-GitHub.
Defend the Chain
The attack chain for CVE-2025-30400 laid across the MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise tactics. Solid cards come from the MITRE CTID KEV mappings; dashed cards are inferred by CVERadar from the CWE or description. Correct defences are real ATT&CK mitigations for that technique.
Pick a red technique card on the board, then choose the defence that stops it.
Defend against T1112 Modify Registry CTID: primary impact
This vulnerability has been exploited to escalate an attacker's privileges to SYSTEM-level via Microsoft Windows Desktop Window Manager (DWM) Core Library, allowing the attacker to take significant actions such as registry modification.
How to fix it
CISA required action
Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable. (source: CISA KEV)
Fixed versions
- microsoft windows 10 1809: upgrade to 10.0.17763.7314 or later
- microsoft windows 10 21h2: upgrade to 10.0.19044.5854 or later
- microsoft windows 10 22h2: upgrade to 10.0.19045.5854 or later
- microsoft windows 11 22h2: upgrade to 10.0.22621.5335 or later
- microsoft windows 11 23h2: upgrade to 10.0.22631.5335 or later
- microsoft windows 11 24h2: upgrade to 10.0.26100.3981 or later
- microsoft windows server 2019: upgrade to 10.0.17763.7314 or later
- microsoft windows server 2022: upgrade to 10.0.20348.3692 or later
- microsoft windows server 2022 23h2: upgrade to 10.0.25398.1611 or later
- microsoft windows server 2025: upgrade to 10.0.26100.3981 or later
Derived from the NVD CPE configuration (versionEndExcluding / versionEndIncluding). Always confirm with the vendor advisory.
Vendor advisories and patches
- https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/en-US/vulnerability/CVE-2025-30400 (CISA KEV notes)
- https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2025-30400 (Vendor Advisory)
MITRE ATT&CK mitigations for this chain
- M1024 Restrict Registry Permissions (for T1112) : Ensure proper permissions are set for Registry hives to prevent users from modifying keys for system components that may lead to privilege escalation.
- M1051 Update Software (for T1068) : Update software regularly by employing patch management for internal enterprise endpoints and servers.
- M1050 Exploit Protection (for T1068) : Security applications that look for behavior used during exploitation such as Windows Defender Exploit Guard (WDEG) and the Enhanced Mitigation Experience Toolkit (EMET) can be used to mitigate some exploitation behavior. Control flow integrity checking is another way to potentially identify and stop a software exploi
- M1048 Application Isolation and Sandboxing (for T1068) : Make it difficult for adversaries to advance their operation through exploitation of undiscovered or unpatched vulnerabilities by using sandboxing. Other types of virtualization and application microsegmentation may also mitigate the impact of some types of exploitation. Risks of additional exploits and weaknesses in t
- M1019 Threat Intelligence Program (for T1068) : Develop a robust cyber threat intelligence capability to determine what types and levels of threat may use software exploits and 0-days against a particular organization.
- M1038 Execution Prevention (for T1068) : Consider blocking the execution of known vulnerable drivers that adversaries may exploit to execute code in kernel mode. Validate driver block rules in audit mode to ensure stability prior to production deployment.
Detection Generic guidance
- Persistence: Look for new files in web roots, new scheduled tasks/services, and new accounts created after the exposure window.
- Privilege Escalation: Alert on processes gaining SYSTEM/root unexpectedly, and on exploitation crashes of privileged services.
Response checklist Generic guidance
- Inventory: find every instance of the affected product and version (include internet-facing and forgotten ones).
- Patch or mitigate per the vendor advisory; if you cannot patch, remove internet exposure or apply the vendor workaround.
- Assume compromise if the system was exposed before patching: hunt for the indicators in the advisory and review logs back to the disclosure date.
- Rotate credentials and secrets stored on or used by the affected system if compromise cannot be ruled out.