CVE-2025-9491: Microsoft Windows LNK File UI Misrepresentation Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
- Is it exploited?
Reported, not confirmed by CISA. VulnCheck KEV lists it as exploited in the wild. CISA has not added it to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog as of .
VulnCheck KEV lists it since . It cites 5 public reports, the first from .
- How likely is exploitation in the next 30 days?
- 76%
Up from 73% on .
EPSS score, percentile 99.5 of all scored records. A probability estimated by FIRST, not a report of exploitation.
CISA's SSVC assessment in the CVE record lists exploitation as poc.
- How severe?
- 7.0 High
CVSS v3.0 base score, given by the CNA
- What should I do?
CISA has set no required action, because the vulnerability is not in KEV.
The CVE record links no vendor advisory, patch or mitigation.
- Which versions are affected?
Affected
- 11 Enterprise 23H2 22631.4169 x64
Source: CISA KEV 2026.10.29, as of ; VulnCheck KEV, as of ; FIRST EPSS, as of ; CVE List, as of . About the data.
Description
Microsoft Windows LNK File UI Misrepresentation Remote Code Execution Vulnerability
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.
Source: CVE List, as of . About the data.
What to do
Advisories and patches
The CVE record links no vendor advisory, patch or mitigation.
This summary is based on the CVE record as of . Check the vendor's advisory before you act: affected versions and fixes can change.
Affected products and versions
Versions by product, as listed in the CVE record (1 product)
| Status | Versions |
|---|---|
| Affected | 11 Enterprise 23H2 22631.4169 x64 |
Versions not listed are: unknown.
Source: CVE List, as of . About the data.
Weakness
CWE-451
- CWE-451: User Interface (UI) Misrepresentation of Critical Information
CWE and CAPEC are maintained by MITRE; the entries are those named in the CVE record.
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| CVE record published | |
| CVE record last updated |
References
1
Known exploited Microsoft vulnerabilities
- CVE-2026-96951: Microsoft Windows Command Injection Vulnerability
- CVE-2026-65660: Microsoft SharePoint Code Injection Vulnerability
- CVE-2026-81963: Microsoft Windows Link Following Vulnerability
- CVE-2026-85880: Microsoft Windows Heap-Based Buffer Overflow Vulnerability
- CVE-2019-1068: Microsoft SQL Server Remote Code Execution Vulnerability