CVE-2025-21189: 
vulnerability analysis and mitigation

MapUrlToZone Security Feature Bypass Vulnerability (CVE-2025-21189) was discovered and disclosed on January 14, 2025. This vulnerability affects multiple versions of Microsoft Windows operating systems, including Windows 10, Windows 11, and various Windows Server editions. The vulnerability has been assigned a CVSS v3.1 base score of 4.3 (Medium) (NVD).

The vulnerability is related to how Microsoft Windows handles requests in the MapUrlToZone functionality. The CVSS vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N) indicates that this is a network-accessible vulnerability with low attack complexity, requiring no privileges but user interaction, and potentially leading to low confidentiality impact (NVD). The vulnerability has been classified under CWE-41 (Improper Resolution of Path Equivalence) (NVD).

When successfully exploited, this vulnerability allows remote attackers to bypass security mechanisms on vulnerable systems. The attack specifically targets the zone security feature, potentially compromising the system's security boundaries (FortiGuard).

Microsoft has released security updates to address this vulnerability. Users and system administrators are advised to apply the most recent upgrades or patches available through the Microsoft Security Update Guide (FortiGuard, Microsoft).