External risk intelligence

Windows NTFS Heap Buffer Overflow Leading to Local Code Execution

CVE advisoryKnown Exploit

CVE-2025-24993

This vulnerability resides within the Windows NTFS file system, which is a local kernel-level component. Exploitation requires local access to the system. It is not a network-reachable service, gateway, or internet-facing interface, making it inherently isolated from public network exposure in standard deployment configurations.

Buffer Overflow

Microsoft Windows 10 1507

before 10.0.10240.20947before 10.0.14393.7876before 10.0.17763.7009before 10.0.19044.5608before 10.0.19045.5608before 10.0.22621.5039before 10.0.22631.5039before 10.0.26100.3403r2;...

Halo Surface Signal: 1 out of 5 — much less likely to be public-facing.

External exposure likelihood

Horizon Alert

Summary of the vulnerability and why it matters

A heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability exists within the Windows NTFS file system. This flaw allows an unauthorized local attacker to execute arbitrary code on affected systems. The core issue stems from improper validation of size or length fields within NTFS structures, leading to an overflow when data is written to allocated buffers.

Vulnerable component: Windows NTFS
Core weakness: Improper boundary checks
Main business impact: Local code execution

Attack Path

How an attacker could exploit the issue

This vulnerability resides within the Windows NTFS file system, a local kernel-level component. Exploitation requires local access to the system, as it is not a network-reachable service or an internet-facing interface. Attackers can leverage this by triggering a heap-based buffer overflow to execute code locally.

Local system access required.
Trigger heap buffer overflow.
Execute code locally.

Live Threat

Current exploitation, exposure, and threat context

The identified vulnerability within the Windows NTFS file system presents a risk of unauthorized code execution locally on affected systems. Exploitation of this vulnerability could lead to significant compromise of data confidentiality, integrity, and system availability. Organizations should prioritize addressing this vulnerability due to the potential for severe business impact.

Attacker skill level: Moderate.
Required access: Local system access.
Business risk: High, treat as urgent.

Operational Fix

Recommended remediation, mitigation, and detection steps

A heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability in Windows NTFS allows an unauthorized attacker to execute code locally. This vulnerability poses a significant risk to affected organizations by potentially enabling attackers to compromise systems and data. The immediate response should focus on identifying and mitigating exposure to protect business operations and sensitive information.

Find all Windows systems running the affected NTFS components.
Isolate vulnerable systems from the network.
Apply vendor patches and validate the fix.

Supplementary metadata

CVSS vector

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Frequently asked questions

What is the Windows NTFS vulnerability CVE-2025-24993 and its core weakness?

CVE-2025-24993 is a heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability within the Windows NTFS file system. The core weakness is improper boundary checks that allow an attacker to overwrite memory, potentially leading to local code execution.

How can CVE-2025-24993 be exploited and what is the required access?

Exploitation requires local system access. An attacker triggers a heap-based buffer overflow within the NTFS file system to execute code locally on the affected system.

What is the business risk associated with CVE-2025-24993?

This vulnerability poses a high business risk due to the potential for unauthorized local code execution, which can compromise data confidentiality, integrity, and system availability. It should be treated as urgent.

What is the relevance of CVE-2025-24993 according to Halo Surface Signal?

Halo classifies this CVE as internal and very unlikely to be exposed externally because it resides in the local kernel-level NTFS file system, requiring local access for exploitation and not being a network-reachable service.

What are the practical steps to respond to CVE-2025-24993?

To respond, identify all Windows systems with affected NTFS components, isolate vulnerable systems from the network, apply vendor patches, and validate that the fix has been successfully implemented.

References

Written by Nicholas Merritt

Nicholas Merritt is VP of Security Solutions at Halo Security. With more than 25 years across application security, vulnerability prioritization, and offensive security, he helps teams translate threat data into practical exposure validation and remediation focus. He authors Halo Threat Intelligence CVE advisories using Halo Surface Signal and H/A/L/O context to prioritize internet-facing risk.