CVE-2025-55680: 
vulnerability analysis and mitigation

CVE-2025-55680 is a Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) race condition vulnerability in the Windows Cloud Files Mini Filter Driver. The vulnerability was disclosed on October 14, 2025, and affects multiple versions of Microsoft Windows operating systems. This vulnerability allows an authorized attacker to elevate privileges locally (NVD, Tenable).

The vulnerability has been assigned a CVSSv3 score of 7.8 (High) with the vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H by Microsoft, while NIST assigned a slightly different score of 7.0 (High) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. The vulnerability is classified as CWE-367 (Time-of-check Time-of-use Race Condition). A local, authenticated attacker would need to win a race condition to successfully exploit this vulnerability (NVD, Tenable).

Successful exploitation of this vulnerability would allow an attacker to elevate their privileges to SYSTEM level on the affected system. This is the 17th vulnerability discovered in the Windows Cloud Files Mini Filter Driver since 2022 (Tenable).

Microsoft has released security updates to address this vulnerability as part of the October 2025 Patch Tuesday. Organizations are advised to apply the security updates to affected systems as soon as possible (NVD).