MSC EvilTwin
CVE-2025-26633 is a Microsoft Management Console (MMC) security feature bypass vulnerability, publicly dubbed "MSC EvilTwin." The provided content describes it as an improper neutralization issue in MMC that can be abused through malicious .msc files. Multiple reports in the content indicate the exploit relies on MMC’s handling of MUIPath and related path resolution behavior, causing mmc.exe to load or prefer an attacker-controlled malicious .msc file from an alternate location such as an en-US/MUIPath directory when a benign console file is launched. Observed variants also reference directory/path manipulation with spaces and, in some reporting, related res:// and apds.dll abuse. Microsoft states the issue allows an unauthorized attacker to bypass a security feature locally, and the content further indicates that exploitation has been observed in the wild and that functional exploit code exists.
Are you exposed to this one?
Mallory correlates every CVE against your assets, your vendors, and active adversary campaigns. Know which vulnerabilities matter for you, not just which ones are loud.
Impact, mitigation & remediation
What it means. What to do now. Patch path, mitigations, and the assume-compromise checklist.
Impact
What an attacker gets, and what they’ve been doing with it.
Mitigation
If you can’t patch tonight, do this now.
Remediation
Patch, then assume compromise.
Exploits
2 valid exploits after Mallory filtered fakes, detection scripts, and README-only repos (1 hidden).
This repository contains a proof-of-concept exploit for CVE-2025-26633, a local privilege escalation vulnerability in Microsoft Management Console (MMC) on Windows systems. The main file, 'CVE-2025-26633_mmc_addadmin.py', generates a malicious .msc (MMC snap-in) file that, when opened with mmc.exe on a vulnerable Windows system, executes an embedded PowerShell command. This command creates a new local administrator account ('hacker'/'P@ssw0rd123!') silently. The exploit targets unpatched Windows 10, Windows 11, and Windows Server 2016-2025 systems prior to the March 2025 security updates. The attack vector is local, requiring the attacker to convince a user to open the crafted .msc file. The repository includes a README with detailed vulnerability and usage information, and a GPL license file. No network endpoints or remote services are involved; the exploit is purely local and post-exploitation in nature.
This repository is a proof-of-concept (PoC) exploit for CVE-2025-26633, a vulnerability in Microsoft Management Console (MMC) that allows remote code execution via malicious .msc files and ActiveX controls. The repository is structured in three stages: - 'stage1/dropper.ps1' is a PowerShell script that creates and writes malicious .msc files to the Windows System32 directory, replacing a placeholder with a URL pointing to a remote HTML payload, and then launches the MMC with the malicious file. - 'stage2/index.html' is an HTML file containing JavaScript that, when loaded in the MMC context with ActiveX enabled, executes arbitrary PowerShell commands. The default action is to launch calc.exe, but commented lines show how it could download and execute further PowerShell payloads or kill processes. - 'stage3/shell.ps1' is a PowerShell script that downloads a remote executable ('shell.exe') from a specified IP address and runs it. The exploit demonstrates the attack chain from initial file drop to remote code execution, with clear network and file system indicators. The PoC is intended for educational and research purposes only.
Affected products & vendors
Products and vendors Mallory has correlated with this vulnerability. Open in Mallory to drill down to specific CPE configurations and version ranges.
Vendor-confirmed product mapping. Mallory continuously reconciles this list against your asset inventory.
Recent activity
51 sources tracked across advisories, community write-ups, and news. New activity surfaces here as Mallory finds it.
A Microsoft Management Console (.msc) exploitation technique/vulnerability referred to as GrimResource, involving XSS via apds.dll and the res:// protocol handler to evaluate attacker-controlled JavaScript.
Microsoft Management Console (MMC) vulnerability (MSC EvilTwin) exploited to trigger code execution as part of malware delivery campaigns.
A Microsoft Windows vulnerability exploited as a zero-day (via an MSC EvilTwin technique) to deliver backdoors.
A Microsoft vulnerability that CISA KEV’s knownRansomwareCampaignUse field silently flipped to Known during 2025 (evidence of ransomware campaign use).
The version that knows your environment.
Query your assets running an affected version, and investigate the blast radius.
Every observed campaign linking this CVE to a named adversary.
Malware families riding this exploit, with evidence and IOCs.
YARA, Sigma, Snort, and vendor rules, auto-deployed to your SIEM.
Cross-references every affected SKU, including bundled OEM variants.
Community discussion across Reddit, Mastodon, and other social sources.