# CVE-2025-71178: Crucial Storage Executive < 11.08.082025.00 Installer DLL Preloading LPE

> A local attacker can achieve administrator privileges by placing a malicious DLL in the installer directory, exploiting DLL preloading in Crucial Storage Executive.

- **Severity:** High 7.1 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:A/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 26 Jan 2026
- **Updated:** 14 May 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-w8jf-p253-j3hj

## What is CVE-2025-71178?

CVE-2025-71178 is a high-severity vulnerability in Micron Technology, Inc. Crucial Storage Executive, published on 26 Jan 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

Crucial Storage Executive installer versions prior to 11.08.082025.00 contain a DLL preloading vulnerability. During installation, the installer runs with elevated privileges and loads Windows DLLs using an uncontrolled search path, which can cause a malicious DLL placed alongside the installer to be loaded instead of the intended system library. A local attacker who can convince a victim to run the installer from a directory containing the attacker-supplied DLL can achieve arbitrary code execution with administrator privileges.

Weakness: CWE-427 (Uncontrolled Search Path Element)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-71178?


## How do I fix CVE-2025-71178?

No fix has been published for CVE-2025-71178 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2025-71178 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-71178 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-71178 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-71178 is a high-severity vulnerability in Micron Technology, Inc. Crucial Storage Executive, published on 26 Jan 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-71178 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Micron Technology, Inc. Crucial Storage Executive. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-71178/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-71178/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-71178
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-71178
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-71178

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-71178/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.
