Windows SSDP Service Under Siege: Analyzing CVE-2025-47976 Privilege Escalation

Executive Summary

CVE-2025-47976 is a critical elevation of privilege vulnerability identified within the Windows SSDP Service. With a CVSS score of 7.8, this use-after-free flaw enables attackers possessing local access to escalate their privileges to SYSTEM level, significantly increasing their control over compromised systems. Given the widespread use of Windows and the default enablement of SSDP, the potential impact of this vulnerability is considerable, particularly within enterprise environments. Microsoft has promptly addressed this issue in their July 2025 Patch Tuesday release, emphasizing the urgency of applying these updates and implementing additional mitigations.

Technical Details

The vulnerability originates from improper memory management within the Windows SSDP Service, specifically the ssdpsrv.dll component. SSDP, part of the Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) protocol suite, facilitates device discovery on local networks via UDP port 1900. The flaw manifests as a use-after-free condition, triggered when the service processes specially crafted SSDP packets. An attacker with local access can exploit this vulnerability by sending malicious SSDP packets, causing memory corruption and enabling arbitrary code execution at elevated privileges.

Affected Windows versions include Windows 10 (21H2 through 24H2), Windows 11 (22H2 through 23H2), and Windows Server editions 2022 and 2025. Historically, SSDP vulnerabilities have been exploited for various malicious purposes, including denial-of-service and privilege escalation attacks, underscoring the criticality of addressing this flaw promptly.

Mitigation Strategies

To mitigate this vulnerability, Microsoft has released specific security updates as part of their July 2025 Patch Tuesday. Administrators should immediately apply updates KB5062553 for Windows 11 and KB5062554 for Windows 10. Additionally, organizations can significantly reduce their risk by disabling the SSDP service entirely or by blocking UDP port 1900 at network firewalls.

Further protective measures include enforcing strict privilege management and network segmentation, limiting the potential impact of successful exploitation. Long-term strategies should involve transitioning away from SSDP to more secure protocols and deploying endpoint protections designed to detect and prevent memory corruption exploits.

Vendor Analysis

Microsoft, a leading global technology vendor, has faced ongoing security challenges, particularly with legacy components such as SSDP. While the company's monthly patching cycle demonstrates a robust security response, the recurrence of similar vulnerabilities highlights the inherent difficulties in maintaining legacy code security. Despite these challenges, Microsoft's proactive security measures and rapid response capabilities generally maintain a strong security posture and trust within the industry.

Threat Intelligence

As of the current date, there is no confirmed evidence of active exploitation of CVE-2025-47976. However, the vulnerability's ease of exploitation and significant potential impact suggest that threat actors, including ransomware groups and state-sponsored entities, will likely develop exploits rapidly. Organizations should remain vigilant, closely monitoring network traffic for anomalies related to SSDP and preparing robust incident response plans to swiftly address potential breaches.

References

Source: This report was created using AI

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