""File system filter drivers, aka minifilters, attach to the system software stack, and intercept requests targeted at a file system, and extend or replace the functionality provided by the original target," Adam Barnett, lead software engineer at Rapid7, said in a statement. "Typical use cases include data encryption, automated backup, on-the-fly compression, and cloud storage.""
""The Cloud Files minifilter is used by OneDrive, Google Drive, iCloud, and others, although as a core Windows component, it would still be present on a system where none of those apps were installed.""
Microsoft patched 56 security flaws across the Windows platform at the end of 2025, including one actively exploited vulnerability. Three flaws are rated Critical and 53 are rated Important, with two defects publicly known at release. The fixes cover 29 privilege escalation, 18 remote code execution, four information disclosure, three denial-of-service, and two spoofing vulnerabilities. Microsoft addressed 1,275 CVEs in 2025, marking its second consecutive year and third overall time patching over 1,000 CVEs. Seventeen additional Chromium-based Edge shortcomings were patched since November, including CVE-2025-62223 (Edge iOS spoofing, CVSS 4.3). The actively exploited defect is CVE-2025-62221 (CVSS 7.8), a use-after-free in the Windows Cloud Files Mini Filter Driver that can allow local elevation to SYSTEM. The Cloud Files minifilter is used by OneDrive, Google Drive, iCloud, and remains present as a core Windows component even if those apps are not installed. The method of exploitation in the wild is currently unknown.
Read at The Hacker News
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