#VU105166 Improper access control in BioNTdrv.sys and Partition Manager - CVE-2025-0289

Vulnerability identifier: #VU105166

Vulnerability risk: High

CVSSv4.0: 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/E:A/U:Amber]

CVE-ID: CVE-2025-0289

CWE-ID: CWE-284

Exploitation vector: Local

Exploit availability: No

Vulnerable software:
BioNTdrv.sys
Hardware solutions / Drivers
Partition Manager
Client/Desktop applications / Software for system administration

Vendor: Paragon Technologie GmbH

Description

The vulnerability allows a local user to escalate privileges on the system.

The vulnerability exists due to improper access restrictions when validating the MappedSystemVa pointer before passing it to HalReturnToFirmware. A local user can execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges. 

Note, the vulnerability is being actively exploited in the wild.

Mitigation
Install updates from vendor's website.

Vulnerable software versions

BioNTdrv.sys: before 2.0.0

Partition Manager: before 17.45.0

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External links
https://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/726882

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Q & A

Can this vulnerability be exploited remotely?

No. This vulnerability can be exploited locally. The attacker should have authentication credentials and successfully authenticate on the system.

Is there known malware, which exploits this vulnerability?

Yes. This vulnerability is being exploited in the wild.