CVE-2025-49723: StateRepository API Local Tampering and Patch Guide

Microsoft’s Security Update Guide entry for the StateRepository API points to a missing authorization check that can be abused by a locally authorized attacker to tamper with files and escalate privileges — but there’s an important CVE-number mismatch in public reporting that every admin must note before acting. (msrc.microsoft.com)

Background​

The Windows StateRepository API is a system component used by Windows to persist application and system state information across sessions. It plays a role in how apps store configuration and stateful metadata on disk, and is therefore logically trusted by the operating system. A flaw in its access-control checks can let local actors manipulate files the API manages, with cascading risk for system integrity and privilege boundaries. (app.opencve.io, rapid7.com)
Two practical facts must be clear at the outset:

• The vendor advisory linked by the user (the MSRC Security Update Guide page) requires JavaScript to render; the entry exists but is not easily scrapeable without running that page. Administrators should rely on the official MSRC advisory viewable through supported channels. (msrc.microsoft.com)
• Public trackers and vulnerability databases list this StateRepository issue under CVE‑2025‑49723 (not CVE‑2025‑53789). Multiple independent sources (vulnerability databases and vendor KBs) confirm CVE‑2025‑49723 as the canonical identifier for this missing-authorization StateRepository advisory. If you received CVE‑2025‑53789 from another source, treat that as a probable typo or misreference and verify against MSRC and NVD listings before proceeding. (app.opencve.io, cvedetails.com)

---

What the vulnerability is (technical overview)​

Core defect: missing authorization (CWE‑862)​

At its core the bug is a missing authorization condition in the StateRepository API server component. That means an action or file operation exposed by the API does not perform the correct access-control check — it trusts the caller’s identity or context more than it should. This defect is categorized as CWE‑862 (Missing Authorization). (app.opencve.io)

Attack vector and requirements​

• Attack vector: Local. The attacker must already have some authorized access to the machine (for example, a non‑privileged local account or a process running under a delegated identity). The vulnerability is not reported as remotely exploitable over the network. (app.opencve.io)
• Privileges required: Low (an authorized local user or process). Microsoft’s advisory and subsequent database entries indicate the actor does not need SYSTEM or full administrative rights to reach the vulnerable API call. (app.opencve.io, rapid7.com)
• User interaction: None — the exploit is local and does not rely on tricking an interactive user into clicking or authorizing an operation. (app.opencve.io)

Impact​

• Tampering / Integrity loss: The immediate described impact is file tampering through the StateRepository API. That could be used to overwrite or replace state files used by Windows components or apps, or to place malicious payloads in paths later executed by more‑privileged services.
• Elevation of privilege (EoP): Because many system services and higher‑privilege components read or act on state repository contents, a local tampering primitive can be chained to achieve privilege escalation, persistence, or arbitrary code execution in a privileged context. Public scoring and vendor notes treat this as a high‑impact issue. (app.opencve.io, rapid7.com)

Severity and scoring​

Open vulnerability aggregators report a high severity rating with a CVSSv3 base score in the high range (OpenCVE / CVE trackers list a base score around 8.8 with vector AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H). That CVSS vector matches the profile of a local but powerful tampering/EoP flaw. Administrators should therefore treat the issue as high priority for patching in local and enterprise environments. (app.opencve.io, rapid7.com)

---

Affected platforms and KB updates​

Vendor and ecosystem trackers confirm the bug affects a broad set of supported Windows client and server SKUs and that Microsoft rolled fixes as part of the July 2025 cumulative updates.
Affected families (examples drawn from vendor CPE listings and Microsoft update packaging):

• Windows 10 (multiple service updates / versions)
• Windows 11 (22H2, 23H2, 24H2)
• Windows Server 2019, 2022 and later 23H2/24H2 branch builds
  Exact build/version cutoffs and KB package mapping vary by SKU; consult the Microsoft Update Catalog and your patching console for the specific KB that applies to each image. (app.opencve.io, support.microsoft.com)

Microsoft published the fixes as part of the July cumulative updates (example KB packages by OS family). Confirm and deploy the KB that matches your Windows build:

• Windows 11 / 22H2 / 23H2 builds: KB5062552 (and sibling KBs for related OS builds). (support.microsoft.com)
• Windows 10 / 21H2 / 20H2 / 1809 builds: KB5062554 / KB5062557 (specific KB varies by branch; see the support pages). (support.microsoft.com)

Security vendors and vulnerability feeds that indexed the advisory list the same KB numbers and map them to CVE‑2025‑49723. Confirm updates either via Windows Update, Microsoft Update Catalog, or your managed patching solution. (rapid7.com, app.opencve.io)

---

Practical mitigation and mitigation-first checklist​

If an immediate update is not possible for every affected endpoint, implement these mitigations to reduce risk while you stage patching.

• Patch first: prioritize installing the July 2025 cumulative update that corresponds to each device’s OS build. This is the single most effective mitigation. (support.microsoft.com)
• Restrict local access: reduce the number of users and services that can execute code on target machines. Enforce least privilege and restrict local logon rights to authorized administrators only.
• Application allowlisting: ensure only approved executables are runnable in high‑risk environments (AppLocker, Windows Defender Application Control).
• Increase monitoring: enable enhanced endpoint telemetry (Sysmon, Windows Event forwarding, Defender for Endpoint) and look for anomalous file writes in directories used by the StateRepository component or unexpected process load events. Tie these signals into your SIEM for rapid triage.
• Harden endpoint configuration: remove unnecessary local accounts, disable guest access, and ensure remote administration is gated by jump hosts and MFA controls.
• Shorten patch window for privileged servers: servers providing multi‑user services or those in sensitive roles (domain controllers, Bastion hosts, jump boxes) should be patched first.
• Containment for unpatched internet‑facing machines: if any affected endpoint must remain unpatched temporarily and is internet‑facing, consider disconnecting it, using network segmentation, or placing it behind an authentication proxy until the patch is applied.

These are layered, compensating actions — none displace the primary requirement to install the security update. (support.microsoft.com, rapid7.com)

---

Deployment considerations and known update issues​

When applying July 2025 cumulative updates, be mindful of longstanding patch‑management caveats and recent reported side effects:

• KB rollups are packaged per‑build. Choose the correct KB for your OS build and service channel (e.g., LTSC, LTSB, Channel). Incorrect KBs will not apply or may create rollback complexity. Confirm the OS build reported by winver / systeminfo before selecting updates. (support.microsoft.com)
• Known issues: some July packages (example: KB5062557 for Windows Server 2019) carried known issues involving Cluster Service instability on certain configurations (Cluster Shared Volumes + BitLocker). Organizations managing clusters should read the KB details and Microsoft’s release health notes before mass deployment and plan staged rollouts. (support.microsoft.com, bleepingcomputer.com)
• WSUS/SCCM sync problems: any large cumulative release can interact poorly with on‑premises update distribution infrastructure. Verify that your WSUS/SCCM environment has synchronized the new packages and test deployment to a pilot set before broad rollout. (support.microsoft.com)
• Recovery planning: have rollback and image recovery options ready. Patching across server farms should be staged with health checks, backup verification, and monitoring for functional regressions.

---

Detection and incident-response guidance​

Because the vulnerability is local and produces tampering risk, detection strategies should focus on local file changes and unusual process-to-file activity.
Detection recommendations:

• Instrument and monitor file system events for directories that the StateRepository and associated processes use. Watch for unexpected writes, renames, or permission changes that coincide with non‑privileged processes. (If you do not know exact StateRepository paths for your build, collect baseline telemetry first.)
• Employ Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) rule sets to flag suspicious local privilege escalation techniques (DLL side‑loading, scheduled task creation, service binary replacement) that may follow an initial tamper. Defender for Endpoint detections and custom hunting queries are useful here. (rapid7.com)
• Correlate local account activity with process creation events. An authorized but low‑privilege account performing file operations usually reserved for system contexts is a strong indicator of exploitation in progress.
• If you discover suspicious tampering, isolate the host, collect memory and disk images, and preserve logs to support forensic analysis.

Response steps (high level):

• Isolate the affected host from the network to prevent lateral movement.
• Capture volatile and persistent evidence (memory, process lists, prefetch, registry hives, relevant logs).
• Reimage the endpoint from known‑good media after containment if you cannot verify the system is clean.
• Rotate credentials and secrets that may have been present on the affected host, particularly service accounts and any keys stored near the tampered artifacts.
• Run a full enterprise hunt to detect additional potentially compromised endpoints. (rapid7.com)

Note: there is no public, verified weaponized exploit documented at large that specifically targets this StateRepository missing-authorization bug at the time of this advisory. That reduces—but does not negate—the urgency to patch. The absence of PoC does not remove the feasibility of local chaining to higher‑impact outcomes; treat the advisory as actionable and patch promptly. (app.opencve.io, rapid7.com)

---

Why this class of bug matters — contextual analysis​

State and configuration repositories are an often‑overlooked attack surface. They sit between user‑level code and the services that run with elevated privileges. When a system trusts the contents of these stores without strictly checking the origin and authorization of the writer, an attacker with local write ability can poison the input to higher‑privileged consumers.
Key risk channels:

• Supply of malicious configuration that elevated services later parse and act upon.
• Placement of code or data that results in privileged code path execution (for example, control of a file name referenced by a scheduled task or service).
• Coercion of recovery/restore footprints so that subsequent maintenance operations execute attacker‑controlled content.

Historically, vulnerabilities in components that mediate configuration/state have been leveraged for robust privilege escalation chains. The recurring pattern is: small local primitive → tamper or corrupt trusted store → privileged service reads/executes → full compromise. That makes missing-authorization bugs in APIs such as StateRepository particularly potent. (rapid7.com, cvedetails.com)

---

Verification, cross‑checks, and the CVE naming confusion​

Multiple authoritative and independent sources converge on the same technical summary for this issue — a missing authorization in the StateRepository API allowing local tampering and potential elevation of privilege — but the identifier reported by some sources may differ from the vendor’s canonical listing.

• The MSRC Security Update Guide entry exists for the advisory page you referenced, but the page requires interactive rendering to view the details directly. Administrators should open MSRC and confirm the CVE id and affected builds through official UI. (msrc.microsoft.com)
• Public vulnerability databases and aggregators list the StateRepository advisory under CVE‑2025‑49723 and provide an independent CVSS rating and CPE mapping for affected platforms. Use CVE‑2025‑49723 when searching security feeds, KB mappings, and patch documentation unless Microsoft explicitly publishes a different ID. (app.opencve.io, cvedetails.com)
• If your internal tools or third‑party ticketing systems show CVE‑2025‑53789, validate that identifier against MSRC and NVD; do not assume they are the same vulnerability without confirming the affected component and description match. The mismatch appears to be a reporting error, not a separate vulnerability. Flag such inconsistencies in your patching tracker and reconcile them before mass deployment. (msrc.microsoft.com, app.opencve.io)

---

Checklist for IT teams (prioritized)​

• Identify all assets that match the vulnerable CPEs / OS builds in your environment. Use automated inventory tools to produce a list. (app.opencve.io)
• Map each asset to the correct July 2025 KB (KB5062552 / KB5062554 / KB5062557 / others) and schedule a staged rollout. (support.microsoft.com)
• Pilot updates on a representative set of endpoints (including clustered servers if present) and monitor for known KB issues. (support.microsoft.com, bleepingcomputer.com)
• Enforce compensating controls on unpatched hosts (restrict local accounts, segment networks, apply application allowlisting).
• Tune EDR / SIEM hunts for suspicious local file modifications and privilege escalation activity. (rapid7.com)
• If a compromise is suspected, execute your IR runbook: isolate, collect forensics, reimage if necessary, and rotate affected credentials.

---

Bottom line and final advice​

• Treat this StateRepository API missing‑authorization issue as a high‑priority patch for all affected Windows systems. Official aggregators and Microsoft’s advisory indicate a high-impact tampering/EoP risk that can be chained into full compromise. (app.opencve.io, rapid7.com)
• Verify CVE identifiers carefully: the central advisory is associated with CVE‑2025‑49723 in public trackers; if you were given CVE‑2025‑53789, reconcile that discrepancy against MSRC/NVD before updating vulnerability records. Do not assume different CVE numbers are unique vulnerabilities without checking descriptions and vendor advisories. (msrc.microsoft.com, app.opencve.io)
• Apply the matching July 2025 cumulative updates for each OS build as soon as operationally possible, and stage patching with attention to known KB issues in clustered environments. (support.microsoft.com)
• Continue to harden endpoints, enforce least privilege, and monitor for signs of local tampering. Given the local nature of the issue, limiting the number of accounts/processes that can perform local actions remains one of the most effective mitigations.

This vulnerability is a timely reminder that access control on internal APIs matters as much as efforts to prevent remote attack: an apparently small missing‑authorization check in a state/storage API can be the pivot point for far larger compromises if defenders do not treat the flaw with urgency. (app.opencve.io, rapid7.com)

---

Source: MSRC Security Update Guide - Microsoft Security Response Center