Microsoft’s March 2025 Patch Tuesday Addresses Six Actively Exploited Zero-Day Vulnerabilities
Microsoft released its March 2025 Patch Tuesday security updates on March 11, addressing 57 vulnerabilities across multiple products, including six zero-day exploits that have been actively exploited in the wild. The release underscores the growing threat landscape, with several of the vulnerabilities posing significant risks to Windows users.
The six zero-day vulnerabilities include a security feature bypass in the Microsoft Management Console (MMC), a heap-based buffer overflow flaw in Windows NTFS, two information disclosure vulnerabilities affecting NTFS, a remote code execution issue in the Windows Fast FAT File System Driver, and an elevation of privilege vulnerability in the Win32 Kernel Subsystem. These vulnerabilities, some of which require user interaction such as opening a malicious file or mounting a compromised virtual hard disk, could allow attackers to execute arbitrary code, gain elevated privileges, or access sensitive information.
Microsoft classified six of the vulnerabilities patched in this update as critical, while the remaining 50 were rated as important. The majority of critical flaws involve remote code execution, which can enable attackers to compromise affected systems without requiring user authentication. Elevation of privilege vulnerabilities also accounted for a significant portion of the update, with attackers potentially using them to gain higher access to compromised systems.
Among the actively exploited zero-day vulnerabilities, the security feature bypass in MMC (CVE-2025-26633) has drawn particular attention. This flaw could allow attackers to evade file reputation checks, increasing the likelihood of successful malware execution. Security researchers have noted that attackers are already exploiting this vulnerability, making it a high-priority concern for system administrators. The heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability in NTFS (CVE-2025-24993) is also notable, as it can lead to arbitrary code execution if a user is tricked into mounting a malicious virtual hard disk.
Another zero-day, CVE-2025-24985, involves a remote code execution vulnerability in the Windows Fast FAT File System Driver. Like the NTFS vulnerability, this flaw requires user interaction but could be exploited to execute arbitrary code on the targeted system. The two NTFS information disclosure vulnerabilities, CVE-2025-24991 and CVE-2025-24984, could enable attackers to access sensitive data if exploited. In some cases, these vulnerabilities may be leveraged in combination with other exploits to gain deeper access into a system.
The final actively exploited zero-day, CVE-2025-24983, is an elevation of privilege vulnerability in the Windows Win32 Kernel Subsystem. Attackers with authenticated access to a system could exploit this flaw to escalate their privileges to the highest system level, potentially gaining full control over the affected machine. This type of vulnerability is frequently used in targeted attacks, where adversaries seek to gain deeper access to corporate or government networks.
The March security update also addressed multiple remote code execution vulnerabilities, particularly in Windows and Microsoft Office components. Attackers could exploit these flaws to run malicious code remotely, potentially installing malware or taking control of affected systems. Several elevation of privilege vulnerabilities were also fixed, including flaws in Windows Kernel, which, if exploited, could allow attackers to execute commands with higher system privileges.
Cybersecurity experts have emphasized the importance of promptly applying the latest patches to mitigate the risk posed by these vulnerabilities. The actively exploited zero-days indicate that cybercriminals are already taking advantage of security flaws to target organizations and individuals. While some of the vulnerabilities require user interaction, social engineering tactics such as phishing emails can increase the likelihood of successful exploitation.
Organizations are urged to deploy the patches immediately, particularly for systems that are more susceptible to remote exploitation. Microsoft has also recommended that users remain cautious when handling files or virtual hard disks from untrusted sources, as several of the vulnerabilities rely on tricking users into interacting with malicious content.
The discovery of multiple zero-day vulnerabilities in this month’s update highlights the ongoing security challenges faced by Windows users. Microsoft’s latest security patches reflect the increasing complexity of cyber threats and the importance of maintaining up-to-date systems. As threat actors continue to exploit unpatched vulnerabilities, system administrators and IT teams are being advised to take proactive measures to secure their networks and devices against potential attacks.
