Top 5 Exploited Vulnerabilities in April 2025

In April 2025, several critical vulnerabilities were actively exploited by cybercriminals across different platforms, causing significant security concerns for organizations worldwide. From privilege escalation flaws in Windows to remote code execution vulnerabilities in popular applications, these vulnerabilities posed serious risks. This blog will cover five of the most exploited vulnerabilities of April 2025, detailing their technical aspects, exploitation scenarios, risks, and mitigation steps.

1. CVE-2025-29824 – Windows Common Log File System (CLFS) Elevation of Privilege

Severity: Critical
Impact: SYSTEM-level privilege escalation

Overview:
CVE-2025-29824 is a critical Elevation of Privilege (EoP) vulnerability in the Windows Common Log File System (CLFS) driver. CLFS is a kernel-mode component responsible for supporting log files within Windows. This vulnerability stems from improper memory handling within the CLFS driver, allowing attackers to exploit it for privilege escalation. An attacker exploiting this vulnerability could gain SYSTEM-level access, which is the highest privilege on a Windows system.

Technical Details:
The flaw occurs when the CLFS driver processes certain types of log files, which can be crafted by an attacker to exploit a memory corruption bug. Once the attacker triggers the bug, they can execute arbitrary code with SYSTEM privileges. This allows them to bypass normal security restrictions and potentially take control of the entire system.

Exploitation:
CVE-2025-29824 has been actively exploited in the wild by several threat groups, including the notorious Storm-2460 group. They have used this vulnerability to gain initial access and then escalate their privileges to SYSTEM level. Once escalated, they deploy ransomware to encrypt data or exfiltrate sensitive information.

Real-World Use Case:
An attacker exploiting this vulnerability could gain access to a corporate network, escalate privileges on a Windows server, and deploy malware such as ransomware. They could encrypt critical business data, hold it for ransom, and demand payment for decryption keys.

Mitigation:
Microsoft released a patch for this vulnerability as part of the April 2025 Patch Tuesday updates. Organizations must apply the update immediately to prevent exploitation. Additionally, security teams should monitor for unusual activity in system logs, particularly for signs of privilege escalation or memory corruption.

Best Practices for Mitigation:

• Apply the latest security patch (KB5039342) to all affected Windows systems.
• Isolate unpatched systems from the rest of the network until updates can be deployed.
• Regularly monitor for abnormal behavior in system processes and logs.
• Use advanced endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools to detect and block exploit attempts.

2. CVE-2025-31324 – SAP NetWeaver Visual Composer File Upload Vulnerability

Severity: Critical
Impact: Remote code execution

Overview:
CVE-2025-31324 affects the SAP NetWeaver Visual Composer, a tool used for creating web-based applications. The vulnerability resides in the file upload mechanism, which allows unauthenticated attackers to upload and execute malicious files through the `/developmentserver/metadatauploader` endpoint.

Technical Details:
The vulnerability occurs due to insufficient validation of uploaded files, allowing attackers to bypass security checks. An attacker can upload a specially crafted file (such as a web shell) that, when executed, can take full control of the affected system.

Exploitation:
This flaw has been actively exploited by various threat actors, including Brute Ratel and Heaven’s Gate. These groups use automated tools to exploit this vulnerability, often as part of broader campaigns targeting critical infrastructure and enterprise systems.

Real-World Use Case:
An attacker exploiting this vulnerability could gain control over SAP servers, which are often used in enterprise environments for critical business operations. With access to these systems, attackers could exfiltrate sensitive data or deploy further malware.

Mitigation:
SAP released a security patch on April 24, 2025, which addresses the issue by implementing better file validation checks. Organizations using SAP NetWeaver should apply this update as soon as possible. Additionally, it is essential to restrict access to the metadata upload endpoint to trusted users only.

Best Practices for Mitigation:

• Apply the latest SAP security patches.
• Limit access to the `/metadatauploader` endpoint to trusted IP addresses or users.
• Monitor for any suspicious file uploads to the Visual Composer application.
• Implement web application firewalls (WAFs) to filter malicious traffic.

3. CVE-2024-53197 & CVE-2024-53150 – Android Kernel Vulnerabilities

Severity: High
Impact: Privilege escalation and information disclosure

Overview:
CVE-2024-53197 and CVE-2024-53150 are vulnerabilities in the Android kernel affecting certain devices. CVE-2024-53197 allows privilege escalation through the USB-audio driver, while CVE-2024-53150 exposes sensitive information without user interaction. Both vulnerabilities were discovered in April 2025 and have been actively exploited by threat actors.

Technical Details:

• CVE-2024-53197: This flaw occurs within the USB-audio driver, where improper handling of kernel memory allows attackers to escalate privileges and execute arbitrary code.
• CVE-2024-53150: This vulnerability leaks sensitive data by improperly handling kernel memory, enabling unauthorized access to private data such as passwords and encryption keys.

Exploitation:
These vulnerabilities have been exploited in highly targeted attacks, particularly against government agencies and large corporations. Attackers can use these flaws to escalate privileges, bypassing security restrictions, or leak sensitive information.

Real-World Use Case:
An attacker exploiting CVE-2024-53197 could escalate privileges to gain full control over an Android device, while CVE-2024-53150 could allow them to steal sensitive data without user consent.

Mitigation:
Google released security updates for these vulnerabilities in their April 2025 Android security update. Devices should be updated to the latest patch level (2025-04-05) to mitigate these risks. Users should also ensure that all devices are updated regularly.

Best Practices for Mitigation:

• Apply the latest Android security patch (2025-04-05) on all affected devices.
• Regularly check for updates and ensure devices are not running outdated versions of Android.
• Implement mobile device management (MDM) solutions to enforce patching policies across enterprise devices.

4. CVE-2025-22457 – Ivanti Connect Secure VPN Remote Code Execution

Severity: Critical
Impact: Remote code execution

Overview:
CVE-2025-22457 is a buffer overflow vulnerability in Ivanti Connect Secure VPN appliances. The flaw allows unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary code remotely, bypassing authentication mechanisms.

Technical Details:
The vulnerability occurs due to a buffer overflow in the handling of network traffic by the Ivanti VPN appliance. An attacker can send specially crafted packets to the device, causing it to overwrite memory and execute arbitrary code. This provides the attacker with full access to the device and potentially the entire corporate network.

Exploitation:
Ivanti Connect Secure VPNs are used by thousands of organizations to enable remote access for employees. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability could gain control over corporate networks, stealing sensitive information or deploying ransomware.

Real-World Use Case:
An attacker exploiting this vulnerability could remotely execute code on an Ivanti VPN appliance, bypassing any security measures and gaining access to internal networks. From there, they could pivot to other systems and escalate privileges.

Mitigation:
Ivanti released a security patch in February 2025 (version 22.7R2.6) to address this issue. Organizations using Ivanti Connect Secure VPN appliances should immediately upgrade to the latest version and monitor for any suspicious activity.

Best Practices for Mitigation:

• Upgrade to Ivanti Connect Secure version 22.7R2.6 or later.
• Disable VPN access from untrusted networks.
• Implement network segmentation to isolate critical systems from remote users.
• Monitor for any anomalous traffic or failed login attempts.

5. CVE-2024-36347 – AMD Zen 5 Microcode Signature Verification Flaw

Severity: Critical
Impact: Firmware security bypass

Overview:
CVE-2024-36347 is a cryptographic vulnerability in the AMD Zen 5 microarchitecture. The flaw occurs in the signature verification process for microcode updates, which could allow attackers with kernel-level privileges to load unauthorized microcode, bypassing hardware security protections like SEV (Secure Encrypted Virtualization) and SEV-SNP (Secure Encrypted Virtualization-Secure Nested Paging).

Technical Details:
The vulnerability stems from a weakness in the hashing algorithm used during microcode signature verification. An attacker with kernel-level privileges could exploit this flaw to inject malicious microcode, which could compromise the security of virtualized environments and bypass encryption and memory isolation protections.

Exploitation:
This flaw could be exploited by attackers with physical or kernel-level access to a device, allowing them to inject rogue microcode. This would bypass various security features, enabling further exploitation of sensitive data or remote code execution.

Real-World Use Case:
An attacker exploiting this vulnerability could bypass the protections of virtual machines in cloud environments, gaining unauthorized access to encrypted data or affecting the integrity of virtualized workloads.

Mitigation:
AMD released an update to the AGESA firmware (version 1.2.0.3C) to address this vulnerability. Users should immediately update their BIOS to the latest version provided by their motherboard manufacturer.

Best Practices for Mitigation:

• Update to the latest AGESA firmware version 1.2.0.3C.
• Check for BIOS updates from motherboard vendors.
• Enforce strict physical access controls for servers and workstations.
• Regularly audit microcode updates to ensure they are from trusted sources.

Written by the team at FixTheRisk.in – Your trusted source for cybersecurity awareness and remediation insights.