CVE‑2025‑24991: Microsoft Windows NTFS Out‑Of‑Bounds Read Vulnerability
What It Is – Microsoft’s New Technology File System (NTFS) contains an out‑of‑bounds read flaw that can be triggered by a locally‑authenticated user to disclose kernel memory contents. The vulnerability is tracked as CVE‑2025‑24991 and has been added to the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.
Exploitability – No public exploit code is currently available, but the vulnerability is rated for information disclosure (CVSS ≈ 5.5 – moderate). An attacker with valid credentials could leverage the bug on any vulnerable Windows system.
Affected Products – Microsoft Windows operating systems that use NTFS (all supported client and server versions).
Why It Matters for Trust & Control Assurance
- Patch‑management evidence – Demonstrating timely remediation of OS‑level flaws is a core data‑confidentiality control that auditors expect across frameworks such as NIST CSF 2.0.
- Audit‑ready logging – Capturing file‑system access events provides defensible evidence that the organization monitors for abnormal reads, supporting continuous control assurance.
- Supply‑chain confidence – Maintaining an up‑to‑date Windows baseline reduces downstream risk for SaaS and cloud services that rely on the OS, reinforcing the trust signal to customers and partners.
Recommended Actions
- Deploy Microsoft’s security update for CVE‑2025‑24991 immediately across all Windows endpoints.
- Verify patch rollout with automated inventory tools and record the status in your control evidence repository.
- Enable detailed NTFS access logging and review for anomalous read patterns.
- Document the remediation workflow to satisfy data‑confidentiality controls during audits.
Source: CISA KEV – CVE‑2025‑24991