CVE-2025-68623
Microsoft DirectX End-User Runtime Privilege Escalation Vulnerability
Description
In Microsoft DirectX End-User Runtime Web Installer 9.29.1974.0, a low-privilege user can replace an executable file during the installation process, which may result in unintended elevation of privileges. During installation, the installer runs with HIGH integrity and downloads executables and DLLs to the %TEMP% folder - writable by standard users. Subsequently, the installer executes the downloaded executable with HIGH integrity to complete the application installation. However, an attacker can replace the downloaded executable with a malicious, user-controlled executable. When the installer executes this replaced file, it runs the attacker's code with HIGH integrity. Since code running at HIGH integrity can escalate to SYSTEM level by registering and executing a service, this creates a complete privilege escalation chain from standard user to SYSTEM. NOTE: The Supplier disputes this record stating that they have determined this to be the behavior as designed.
INFO
Published Date :
March 11, 2026, 5:16 p.m.
Last Modified :
March 11, 2026, 5:16 p.m.
Remotely Exploit :
No
Source :
[email protected]
Affected Products
The following products are affected by CVE-2025-68623
vulnerability.
Even if cvefeed.io is aware of the exact versions of the
products
that
are
affected, the information is not represented in the table below.
No affected product recoded yet
Solution
- Update DirectX End-User Runtime to the latest version.
- Ensure installer processes run with appropriate integrity levels.
- Remove or restrict write access to %TEMP% during installation.
- Validate downloaded files before execution.
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools
Here, you will find a curated list of external links that provide in-depth
information, practical solutions, and valuable tools related to
CVE-2025-68623.
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration
While CVE identifies
specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or
weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2025-68623 is
associated with the following CWEs:
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification
(CAPEC)
stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and
approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2025-68623
weaknesses.
We scan GitHub repositories to detect new proof-of-concept exploits. Following list is a collection of public exploits and proof-of-concepts, which have been published on GitHub (sorted by the most recently updated).
Results are limited to the first 15 repositories due to potential performance issues.
The following list is the news that have been mention
CVE-2025-68623 vulnerability anywhere in the article.
The following table lists the changes that have been made to the
CVE-2025-68623 vulnerability over time.
Vulnerability history details can be useful for understanding the evolution of a vulnerability, and for identifying the most recent changes that may impact the vulnerability's severity, exploitability, or other characteristics.
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New CVE Received by [email protected]
Mar. 11, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added Tag disputed Added Description In Microsoft DirectX End-User Runtime Web Installer 9.29.1974.0, a low-privilege user can replace an executable file during the installation process, which may result in unintended elevation of privileges. During installation, the installer runs with HIGH integrity and downloads executables and DLLs to the %TEMP% folder - writable by standard users. Subsequently, the installer executes the downloaded executable with HIGH integrity to complete the application installation. However, an attacker can replace the downloaded executable with a malicious, user-controlled executable. When the installer executes this replaced file, it runs the attacker's code with HIGH integrity. Since code running at HIGH integrity can escalate to SYSTEM level by registering and executing a service, this creates a complete privilege escalation chain from standard user to SYSTEM. NOTE: The Supplier disputes this record stating that they have determined this to be the behavior as designed. Added Reference https://talosintelligence.com/vulnerability_reports/TALOS-2025-2293 Added Reference https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=35 -
CVE Modified by af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108
Mar. 11, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added Reference https://www.talosintelligence.com/vulnerability_reports/TALOS-2025-2293