CVE Alert: CVE-2025-50152 – Microsoft – Windows 10 Version 1809

Risk verdict

High risk of local privilege escalation; exploitation is not confirmed in the wild, but affected systems should be patched promptly.

Why this matters

A kernel-level elevation of privilege with local access could grant an attacker SYSTEM, enabling persistence, credential access, and broad lateral movement within the host. Because there is no user interaction required, an already-compromised account or malware foothold could leverage this to bypass security controls.

Most likely attack path

• Attack requires local access with low privileges and no user interaction (AV:L, AC:L, UI:N, Scope: U).
• An attacker with a foothold could trigger kernel code execution to gain SYSTEM rights, then operate with full control of the host.
• From there, lateral movement or data access is feasible if adjacent systems share trust or credentials.

Who is most exposed

Enterprise endpoints and servers still running affected Windows builds, including 10/11 client versions and Server installations, are at risk until patched. Environments with mixed OS versions and deferred updates are especially vulnerable.

Detection ideas

• Unusual kernel-mode memory access or crash dumps indicative of out-of-bounds reads.
• New or renamed processes/services launching under SYSTEM from non-admin contexts.
• Tokens or privileges being elevated without corresponding administrative actions.
• Unexpected SYSTEM-level process persistence or service creation post-login.
• Anomalous patch or driver-loading activity on otherwise stable hosts.

Mitigation and prioritisation

• Apply the latest security updates for all affected builds; verify via standard patch-management processes.
• Enforce least privilege, restrict local admin rights, and harden with application control.
• Enable robust EDR/IDS logging for kernel-mode events; monitor for privilege-escalation indicators and SYSTEM process creation.
• Validate asset inventory and isolate or segment high-risk hosts until patched.
• If KEV or EPSS signals become available, elevate to priority accordingly.