Link following in Microsoft Windows - CVE-2025-59241
Published: October 15, 2025
Vulnerability identifier: #VU117165
CSH Severity: Low
CVSS v4: 8.5 [CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N]
CVE-ID: CVE-2025-59241
CWE-ID: CWE-59
Exploitation vector: Local access
Exploit availability:
No public exploit available
Vulnerability details
The vulnerability allows a local user to escalate privileges on the system.
The vulnerability exists due to an insecure link following issue in Windows Health and Optimized Experiences. A local user can create a specially crafted symbolic link to a critical file on the system and overwrite it with privileges of the application.
Affected software
Microsoft Windows
How to mitigate CVE-2025-59241
Install updates from vendor's website.
Microsoft Windows - addressed in versions 10 1607 10.0.14393.8519, 11 24H2 10.0.26100.6899