Historical catalog analysis: CISA added this entry on March 11, 2025. The entry reflects catalog information retrieved on August 31, 2026, not a snapshot archived on the inclusion date. Check current vendor guidance before acting.
What the vulnerability is
CVE-2025-24991 is an out-of-bounds read vulnerability (CWE-125) located within the Microsoft Windows New Technology File System (NTFS). This flaw enables an attacker who already possesses authorized access to the system to disclose information locally.
Exposure and applicability
This vulnerability affects systems utilizing the Windows NTFS file system. Because the exploit requires the attacker to be an authorized user, the primary exposure path is local. The risk is most acute in environments where multi-user access is permitted on a single host or where existing low-privileged accounts could be leveraged to extract sensitive data from memory or disk structures that should remain restricted.
Remediation priorities
Based on the inclusion of this vulnerability in CISA’s Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, remediation should be prioritized for high-value assets and systems with broad local access. Our analysis suggests the following priority sequence:
- Identify Affected Assets: Inventory all Windows instances utilizing NTFS to determine the scope of exposure.
- Apply Vendor Mitigations: Deploy the official updates provided by Microsoft to address the out-of-bounds read flaw.
- Cloud Service Alignment: For organizations utilizing cloud environments, ensure that remediation aligns with BOD 22-01 guidance where applicable.
- Decommissioning: In rare cases where mitigations cannot be applied and the risk is deemed unacceptable, discontinue use of the affected product.
How to validate remediation
Verification must move beyond a simple version check, as a successful update installation does not always guarantee that the vulnerability is neutralized in the active runtime environment.
Defenders should verify mitigation by:
* Confirming Patch Application: Validating through system logs or configuration management tools that the specific vendor-supplied security update for CVE-2025-24991 has been successfully installed.
* Configuration Audit: Ensuring that no legacy configurations are overriding the security updates provided by the vendor.
Limits and open questions
While the vulnerability is documented, several unknowns remain. The source does not specify if this flaw has been utilized in known ransomware campaigns. Additionally, because the impact is limited to local information disclosure, the full extent of what data can be leaked—and whether that data could facilitate further privilege escalation—is not explicitly detailed in the provided source. Residual risk remains for any system where patches cannot be applied immediately or where authorized users possess excessive permissions that could exacerbate the impact of a local information leak.
Source and editorial note
CVE-2025-24991: Microsoft Windows NTFS Out-Of-Bounds Read Vulnerability · Source date: March 11, 2025 · Retrieved August 31, 2026.
Material facts are tied to the cited primary source. Recommendations are independent defensive analysis unless attributed to the source. Confirm consequential decisions against current authoritative guidance.
Archive date: March 14, 2025. The displayed post date is assigned three days after the source date to organize this retrospective archive; it does not mean this site published the analysis then. First published by this site: October 22, 2026 at 00:24 UTC.
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