Microsoft has disclosed two important vulnerabilities in its Home windows BitLocker encryption function, permitting attackers with bodily entry to bypass safety protections and entry encrypted knowledge.
Launched on October 14, 2025, as a part of the most recent Patch Tuesday updates, these flaws, tracked as CVE-2025-55338 and CVE-2025-55333, pose a major threat to customers counting on BitLocker for full-disk encryption on Home windows gadgets.
Each vulnerabilities carry an “Necessary” severity score and a CVSS v3.1 base rating of 6.1, highlighting the potential for high-impact knowledge breaches in eventualities involving machine theft or tampering.
BitLocker, a built-in Home windows software designed to encrypt total drives and shield delicate data, has lengthy been a cornerstone of enterprise and private safety.
Nonetheless, these new points stem from flaws in how the system handles ROM code patching and knowledge comparisons, enabling unauthorized entry without having passwords or restoration keys.
For CVE-2025-55338, the issue lies within the lacking means to patch ROM code, which leaves a spot for bodily assaults. Equally, CVE-2025-55333 includes an incomplete comparability mechanism that fails to account for key elements, as outlined underneath CWE-1023.
In each instances, an attacker might exploit the weaknesses to decrypt the system storage machine, exposing confidential information, consumer credentials, and doubtlessly company secrets and techniques.
Understanding The Assault Vector
These vulnerabilities require bodily proximity to the goal machine, making them significantly related for eventualities like laptop computer theft or insider threats.
In accordance with Microsoft’s evaluation, exploitation includes low complexity with no consumer interplay or privileges wanted, however the unchanged scope limits broader community propagation.
The vector string for each is CVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N, emphasizing excessive confidentiality and integrity impacts whereas availability stays unaffected.
Microsoft assesses exploitation as “much less doubtless” for the reason that flaws weren’t publicly disclosed previous to patching, and no lively exploits have been noticed.
Nonetheless, the official repair obtainable by way of Home windows Replace urges instant software, particularly for cell employees or these in high-risk environments.
CVE IDDescriptionCVSS Base ScoreAttack VectorSeverityWeaknessCVE-2025-55338Missing ROM code patching6.1PhysicalImportantN/ACVE-2025-55333Incomplete comparability with lacking factors6.1PhysicalImportantCWE-1023
Mitigations
The invention of those points by Alon Leviev from Microsoft’s Safety Menace Operations and Response Administration (STORM) crew highlights ongoing efforts to fortify core OS parts.
Whereas not as devastating as distant code execution bugs, they remind customers that bodily safety stays important; no encryption is foolproof with out safeguards like TPM modules and powerful entry controls.
Organizations ought to prioritize patching affected Home windows 10 and 11 methods, conduct machine audits, and contemplate multi-factor authentication for restoration choices.
As cyber threats evolve, these vulnerabilities function a wake-up name to combine BitLocker with layered defenses, making certain knowledge stays protected even within the palms of adversaries.
Microsoft recommends enabling computerized updates and monitoring for uncommon bodily entry makes an attempt to mitigate dangers successfully.
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