Microsoft has issued a warning regarding a serious zero-day vulnerability in the Windows Common Log File System (CLFS), tracked as CVE-2025-29824. This flaw is actively being exploited to facilitate the deployment of ransomware across various industries, including IT, real estate, finance, software, and retail, affecting companies located in the United States, Spain, Venezuela, and Saudi Arabia.
The vulnerability allows attackers with standard user access to escalate their privileges, enabling widespread ransomware deployment within an organization. According to the Microsoft Threat Intelligence Center, this exploitation is especially concerning given the nature of the CLFS kernel driver, which is responsible for writing transaction logs. When misused, it can grant attackers SYSTEM privileges, facilitating data theft and the installation of backdoors.
Recent observations linked the exploitation to a threat actor known as Storm-2460, associated with the RansomEXX group, previously known as Defray777. This group has targeted significant entities, including governmental organizations and major hardware manufacturers. The vulnerability has been added to the US’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list, mandating federal civilian agencies to implement patches by April 29.
Security updates to address the vulnerability have been released for Windows 11, Windows Server 2022, and Windows Server 2019, while fixes for Windows 10 systems are expected to follow soon. Notably, Windows 11 devices running version 24H2 or newer remain safe from this particular exploit, as the access needed to leverage the vulnerability is restricted.
Exploitation Details:Exploitation begins with the use of the certutil command-line utility, which downloads a malicious MSBuild file containing an encrypted payload named PipeMagic. This payload, hosted on a compromised site, enables remote control over the victim’s system. Attackers gain full process privileges by manipulating kernel processes and can ultimately steal user credentials. Upon obtaining these credentials, they deploy ransomware, leading to file encryption and the creation of ransom notes demanding payment.
For further information on this vulnerability, you can check Microsoft’s detailed explanation here, and for the most recent security updates, visit the Microsoft security response center’s update guide.
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