Microsoft’s November 2025 Patch Tuesday Roundup

Microsoft’s November 2025 Patch Tuesday: Critical Zero-Day and Strategic Security Updates

Summary

Microsoft’s November 2025 Patch Tuesday addresses 68 vulnerabilities including a actively exploited zero-day Windows Kernel privilege escalation flaw (CVE-2025-62215). This security update delivers patches for 63 Microsoft vulnerabilities (5 Critical, 58 Important) and 5 third-party issues, with 11 CVEs flagged as exploitation-likely, demanding immediate enterprise attention.

Vulnerability Details

The update encompasses 16 Remote Code Execution vulnerabilities, 29 Elevation of Privilege flaws, 11 Information Disclosure issues, 3 Denial of Service vulnerabilities, 2 Spoofing flaws, and 2 Security Feature Bypass vulnerabilities across Windows, Office, SharePoint, SQL Server, Azure Monitor, Visual Studio, and Edge platforms.

Critical Zero-Day (CVE-2025-62215): This Windows Kernel Elevation of Privilege vulnerability enables authenticated attackers with local access to escalate to SYSTEM privileges, providing complete control over compromised systems. Active exploitation confirms sophisticated threat actors are weaponizing this vulnerability in targeted attacks.

High-Priority RCE Vulnerabilities:

• CVE-2025-60724 (GDI+ RCE): Triggered through malicious images or documents, exploitable via email or web vectors
• CVE-2025-62199 (Office RCE): Weaponizable through crafted Office files in phishing campaigns
• CVE-2025-62214 (Visual Studio RCE): Executable through malicious project files

Privilege Escalation Cluster: Multiple WinSock Ancillary Function Driver vulnerabilities (CVE-2025-60719, CVE-2025-62213, CVE-2025-62217) indicate systematic weaknesses in Windows networking components, potentially discovered through focused security research or adversarial reconnaissance.

Recommendations

1. Immediate Zero-Day Mitigation: Deploy CVE-2025-62215 patches within 24-48 hours to disrupt active attack campaigns
2. Critical RCE Prioritization: Patch CVE-2025-60724, CVE-2025-62199, and CVE-2025-62214 within 72 hours
3. Windows 10 ESU Verification: Ensure all Windows 10 systems are enrolled in Extended Security Updates program before support termination
4. Network Segmentation Enforcement: Isolate unpatched systems through micro-segmentation and zero-trust architectures
5. Privilege Restriction Implementation: Deploy application control and just-in-time administrative access to limit exploitation impact
6. Service Exposure Assessment: Audit internet-facing services for vulnerability exposure, particularly RRAS and SharePoint installations

MITRE ATT&CK TTPs

• Initial Access: T1566 (Phishing), T1190 (Exploit Public-Facing Application)
• Execution: T1203 (Exploitation for Client Execution), T1059 (Command and Scripting Interpreter)
• Privilege Escalation: T1068 (Exploitation for Privilege Escalation)
• Defense Evasion: T1078 (Valid Accounts)
• Credential Access: T1556 (Modify Authentication Process)
• Impact: T1499 (Endpoint Denial of Service)

References

• Microsoft Security Response Center: https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/releaseNote/2025-nov
• HivePro Threat Advisory TA2025345 (November 13, 2025)