Threat Intelligence / CVE / CVE-2025-9491

CVE-2025-9491 — Microsoft Windows

CVSS v3.1 7 (HIGH) · CVSS v4.0 4.6 · EPSS 63.1% (higher than 99.1% of all scored CVEs) · Priority 9.5/10 · Published 2025-08-26

As of 2025-12-05, CVE-2025-9491 is a HIGH-severity vulnerability in Microsoft Windows, CVSS v3.1 7, EPSS 63.1% (99.1th percentile). Threadlinqs Intelligence links 3 tracked threat campaigns to CVE-2025-9491, most recently “Armored Likho APT (Eagle Werewolf) Deploys AI-Generated Loaders to Drop BusySnake Python Stealer Against Government and Power-Sector Targets”.

Last updated: 2025-12-05

What is CVE-2025-9491?

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.

The record classifies CVE-2025-9491 under weakness class CWE-451. Its CVSS v3 base vector states that the flaw requires local access to the host, needs no prior authentication, needs a user to take an action first, and has high impact on confidentiality, integrity, availability. 1 affected-product entry is recorded, across 1 vendor, listed below. The identifier was first published 383 days ago.

Severity and exploitation probability

CVSS v3.1 base score
7 — HIGH
CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CVSS v4.0 base score
4.6
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:A/VC:N/VI:L/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
EPSS (FIRST)
63.1% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 99.1% of all scored CVEs
CISA KEV
Not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog
Threadlinqs priority
9.5/10 — a Threadlinqs composite of the CVSS base score, the EPSS percentile and public exploit availability
Published
2025-08-26, last modified 2025-12-05

Is CVE-2025-9491 being exploited?

Weaponised exploit code for CVE-2025-9491 is publicly available. 2 public proof-of-concept repositories are tracked for this identifier.

Affected products and versions

How to fix CVE-2025-9491

No vendor patch reference has been recorded for CVE-2025-9491 in the tracked sources. Follow the references below for a fix, and treat the products listed above as exposed until the vendor states otherwise.

Threat activity tracking CVE-2025-9491

3 tracked threats in the Threadlinqs corpus reference CVE-2025-9491, either in the campaign’s CVE list or as an indicator on the campaign record.

Sources

Enriched from CVE.org, NVD, FIRST EPSS, GitHub Security Advisories, public proof-of-concept repositories. Last verified by Threadlinqs on . This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.

Other references

Full detection coverage & IOCs for threats exploiting CVE-2025-9491 are available via the Threadlinqs MCP server (Purple tier). View plans →

← all vulnerabilities · Markdown version · Threadlinqs Intelligence