In recent developments, Microsoft has unveiled critical security patches addressing a staggering array of 125 vulnerabilities across its software platforms. Among these, one vulnerability has been identified as under active exploitation in the wild, raising significant alarms within the cybersecurity community.
Of the reported vulnerabilities, 11 are designated as Critical, while 112 carry an Important rating, leaving two categorized as Low severity. Notably, 49 are characterized as privilege escalation vulnerabilities. The others include 34 remote code execution flaws, 16 related to information disclosure, and 14 associated with denial-of-service attacks.
This month’s updates come in addition to the 22 flaws addressed in the Microsoft Edge browser since last month’s Patch Tuesday release. The recently highlighted vulnerability—an elevation of privilege flaw in the Windows Common Log File System (CLFS) Driver—has been categorized as CVE-2025-29824, scoring a concerning 7.8 on the CVSS scale. This vulnerability is particularly dangerous as it arises from a use-after-free situation, enabling an authorized attacker to escalate their privileges on a compromised system.
Since 2022, CVE-2025-29824 represents the sixth EoP flaw found in this component that has been actively exploited. Prior vulnerabilities in this series include CVE-2022-24521, CVE-2022-37969, CVE-2023-23376, CVE-2023-28252, and CVE-2024-49138, all showcasing a consistent CVSS score of 7.8. The repeated exploitation of EoP vulnerabilities indicates their relevance in sophisticated attacks, especially those aimed at gaining deeper access within compromised environments.
Experts highlight that successful exploitation of such vulnerabilities allows attackers to conduct follow-on activities—including lateral movement within networks, which is a substantial concern for organizational security. Mike Walters, president and co-founder of Action1, emphasized that this vulnerability grants attackers SYSTEM-level access, allowing them to install malware and manipulate crucial system configurations. The current absence of a patch for Windows 10 systems further complicates the defense strategy for many users.
Compounding these worries, the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has linked the active exploitation of this flaw to ransomware incidents targeting specific organizations. Consequently, CISA has added CVE-2025-29824 to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, mandating federal agencies to implement fixes by April 29, 2025.
The reported vulnerabilities also include significant issues within the Windows Kerberos authentication system, remote code execution vulnerabilities in Windows Remote Desktop Services, and critical flaws affecting Microsoft Office and Excel applications. These vulnerabilities could enable bad actors to gain substantial control over affected systems, often through specially crafted documents.
Despite the urgency to address these threats, several of these vulnerabilities remain unfixed for Windows 10, prompting Microsoft to assure users that updates will be released “as soon as possible.” Business owners must remain vigilant in light of these ongoing developments as cybersecurity threats continue to evolve.
In summary, organizations utilizing Microsoft products should prioritize these updates and remain aware of the evolving threat landscape. Cybersecurity teams should reference the MITRE ATT&CK framework to understand the potential related tactics—including initial access, persistence, and privilege escalation—that malicious actors could exploit to exploit these vulnerabilities.
