KB5053594: Windows Server Security Update (March 2025)
Microsoft Windows NTLM contains an external control of file name or path vulnerability that allows an unauthorized attacker to perform spoofing over a network.
A remote attacker, without authentication, can achieve full data confidentiality loss. Federal agencies are required to remediate by 2025-05-08 under CISA BOD 22-01.
This is a Software Vulnerability (CWE-73) (CWE-73) vulnerability in Microsoft Windows. External control of file name or path in Windows NTLM allows an unauthorized attacker to perform spoofing over a network. Exploitation requires remote network access, low attack complexity, no authentication required, and user interaction required.
📧
Phishing link
🖼
Malicious file
🔓
Server compromised
Probably yes if any of these apply:
Active exploitation documented in the wild. Threat-research write-up: https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/52478
Manual download
For air-gapped servers or out-of-band deployment. Microsoft Update Catalog returns every OS-version variant of this update.
↗ Microsoft Update CatalogKB5053594Manual remediation steps
Apply the Microsoft Security Update
Microsoft has released an official security update that fixes this vulnerability.
Required KB Updates
Supersedes: KB5051974, KB5051979, KB5051980, KB5051987, KB5051989, KB5052000, KB5052006, KB5052016, KB5052020, KB5052040, KB5052042, KB5052105, KB5052106
Affected Products
Fixed Build Numbers
Installation Methods
Windows Update (recommended)
Microsoft Update Catalog (manual download)
.msu installer with administrator privilegesWSUS / SCCM / Intune
Approve KB5053594 for the affected products in your update management console.
Microsoft Download Center Links
Verification
Confirm the update is installed:
Get-HotFix | Where-Object { $_.HotFixID -in @('KB5053594','KB5053596','KB5053598','KB5053599','KB5053602','KB5053603','KB5053606','KB5053618','KB5053620','KB5053627','KB5053636','KB5053638','KB5053886','KB5053887') }
References
Discovery Credit
Rintaro Koike with NTT Security Holdings, 0x6rss, hyp3rlinx, j00sean
No tested PowerShell script for this entry yet. We’re prioritising automation based on user demand.