Microsoft Security Advisory CVE-2025-26646: .NET Spoofing Vulnerability

# Microsoft Security Advisory CVE-2025-26646: .NET Spoofing Vulnerability

## Executive summary

Microsoft is releasing this security advisory to provide information about a vulnerability in .NET 9.0.xxx and .NET 8.0.xxx SDK. This advisory also provides guidance on what developers can do to update their applications to address this vulnerability.

A vulnerability exists in .NET SDK or MSBuild applications where external control of file name or path allows an unauthorized attacked to perform spoofing over a network.

## Discussion

Discussion for this issue can be found at https://github.com/dotnet/msbuild/issues/11846

### Mitigation factors

Projects which do not utilize the [DownloadFile](https://learn.microsoft.com/visualstudio/msbuild/downloadfile-task) build task are not susceptible to this vulnerability.

## Affected software

* Any installation of .NET 9.0.105 SDK, .NET 9.0.203 SDK or earlier.
* Any installation of .NET 8.0.115 SDK, .NET 8.0.311 or .NET 8.0.312 SDK, .NET 8.0.408 or .NET 8.0.409SDK or earlier.

## Affected Packages
The vulnerability affects any Microsoft .NET Core project if it uses any of affected packages versions listed below

Package name | Affected version | Patched version
------------ | ---------------- | -------------------------
[Microsoft.Build.Tasks.Core](https://www.nuget.org/packages/Microsoft.Build.Tasks.Core) |>= 15.8.166, <=15.9.20
>=16.0.461, <= 16.11.0
>= 17.0.0, <= 17.8.3
>= 17.9.5, <= 17.10.4
17.11.4
17.12.6
17.13.9 | 15.9.30
16.11.6
17.8.29
17.10.29
17.12.36
17.13.26
17.14.8

## Advisory FAQ

### How do I know if I am affected?

If you have a .NET SDK with a version listed, or an affected package listed in [affected software](#affected-packages) or [affected packages](#affected-software), you're exposed to the vulnerability.

### How do I fix the issue?

1. To fix the issue please install the latest version of .NET 9.0 SDK or .NET 8.0 SDK. If you have installed one or more .NET SDKs through Visual Studio, Visual Studio will prompt you to update Visual Studio, which will also update your .NET SDKs.
2. If your application references the vulnerable package, update the package reference to the patched version.

* You can list the versions you have installed by running the `dotnet --info` command. You will see output like the following;

```
.NET SDK:
Version: 9.0.100
Commit: 59db016f11
Workload version: 9.0.100-manifests.3068a692
MSBuild version: 17.12.7+5b8665660

Runtime Environment:
OS Name: Mac OS X
OS Version: 15.2
OS Platform: Darwin
RID: osx-arm64
Base Path: /usr/local/share/dotnet/sdk/9.0.100/

.NET workloads installed:
There are no installed workloads to display.
Configured to use loose manifests when installing new manifests.

Host:
Version: 9.0.0
Architecture: arm64
Commit: 9d5a6a9aa4

.NET SDKs installed:
9.0.100 [/usr/local/share/dotnet/sdk]

.NET runtimes installed:
Microsoft.AspNetCore.App 9.0.0 [/usr/local/share/dotnet/shared/Microsoft.AspNetCore.App]
Microsoft.NETCore.App 9.0.0 [/usr/local/share/dotnet/shared/Microsoft.NETCore.App]

Other architectures found:
x64 [/usr/local/share/dotnet]
registered at [/etc/dotnet/install_location_x64]

Environment variables:
Not set

global.json file:
Not found

Learn more:
https://aka.ms/dotnet/info

Download .NET:
https://aka.ms/dotnet/download
```

* If you're using .NET 9.0, you should download and install the appropriate SDK: `.NET 9.0.300` for Visual Studio 2022 v17.14, `.NET 9.0.204` for v17.13, or `.NET 9.0.106` for v17.12. Download from https://dotnet.microsoft.com/download/dotnet-core/9.0.

* If you're using .NET 8.0, you should download and install the appropriate SDK: `.NET 8.0.410` for Visual Studio 2022 v17.11, `.NET 8.0.313` for v17.10, or `.NET 8.0.116` for v17.8. Download from https://dotnet.microsoft.com/download/dotnet-core/8.0.

Once you have installed the updated SDK, restart your apps for the update to take effect.

## Other Information

### Reporting Security Issues

If you have found a potential security issue in .NET 8.0 or .NET 9.0, please email details to secure@microsoft.com. Reports may qualify for the Microsoft .NET Core & .NET 5 Bounty. Details of the Microsoft .NET Bounty Program including terms and conditions are at .

### Support

You can ask questions about this issue on GitHub in the .NET GitHub organization. The main repos are located at https://github.com/dotnet/aspnetcore. The Announcements repo (https://github.com/dotnet/Announcements) will contain this bulletin as an issue and will include a link to a discussion issue. You can ask questions in the linked discussion issue.

### Disclaimer

The information provided in this advisory is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind. Microsoft disclaims all warranties, either express or implied, including the warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. In no event shall Microsoft Corporation or its suppliers be liable for any damages whatsoever including direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, loss of business profits or special damages, even if Microsoft Corporation or its suppliers have been advised of the possibility of such damages. Some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of liability for consequential or incidental damages so the foregoing limitation may not apply.
### External Links

[CVE-2025-26646]( https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-26646)

Revisions
V1.0 (May 13, 2025): Advisory published.

Version 1.0

Last Updated 2025-05-13

V1.1 (May 22, 2025): Advisory published.

Version 1.1

Last Updated 2025-05-22