Microsoft has acknowledged that the August 2025 security updates are inadvertently causing unexpected User Account Control (UAC) prompts and installation challenges for non-administrative users across all supported Windows versions. This issue stems from a security patch aimed at addressing the CVE-2025-50173 vulnerability, which could potentially allow authenticated attackers to escalate their privileges to SYSTEM level due to a flaw in the authentication process.
In an effort to bolster security, Microsoft has introduced new UAC prompts that require administrative credentials in various scenarios, thereby preventing unauthorized permission escalation. These prompts may appear in situations such as executing MSI repair commands (for instance, msiexec /fu), installing applications tailored for individual users, and during the execution of Windows Installer within Active Setup.
This adjustment poses challenges for standard users attempting to deploy packages via Configuration Manager (ConfigMgr) that rely on user-specific “advertising” configurations. It also affects the ability to enable Secure Desktop and launch Autodesk applications, including certain versions of AutoCAD, Civil 3D, and Inventor CAM.
The extensive list of affected platforms encompasses both client and server systems:
- Client: Windows 11 (versions 24H2, 23H2, 22H2), Windows 10 (versions 22H2, 21H2, 1809, Enterprise LTSC 2019, Enterprise LTSC 2016, version 1607, Enterprise 2015 LTSB)
- Server: Windows Server 2025, Windows Server 2022, Windows Server (version 1809), Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2012
According to a recent update on the Windows release health dashboard, Microsoft stated, “A security improvement was included in the August 2025 Windows security update (KB5063878) and later updates to enforce the requirement that User Account Control (UAC) prompt for administrator credentials when performing Windows Installer (MSI) repair and related operations.” The company further noted that if a standard user attempts to run an app that triggers an MSI repair operation without a user interface, it will result in an error message. For instance, attempting to install and configure Office Professional Plus 2010 as a standard user will fail with Error 1730.
To mitigate this known issue, Microsoft is actively working on a solution that will enable IT administrators to allow specific applications to conduct MSI repair operations without triggering UAC prompts. This fix is expected to be included in an upcoming Windows update.
Temporary workaround available
In the interim, Microsoft recommends that users run applications utilizing Windows Installer (MSI) with administrative privileges. This can be accomplished by accessing the Start menu or Search results, right-clicking the desired application, and selecting the ‘Run as administrator’ option.
For those unable to execute applications as administrators, it is advisable to consult with IT administrators to implement a special Group Policy using Known Issue Rollback (KIR) for the following Windows versions, after contacting Microsoft’s business support team:
- Windows 11 (versions 22H2, 23H2, 24H2)
- Windows Server 2025
- Windows Server 2022
- Windows 10 (versions 21H2, 22H2)
Additionally, Microsoft is addressing another issue linked to the August 2025 security updates, which has resulted in significant lag and stuttering problems with NDI streaming software on both Windows 10 and Windows 11 systems. The company has also clarified that there is no established connection between the August 2025 KB5063878 security update and the reported failures and data corruption issues affecting solid-state drives (SSDs) and hard disk drives (HDDs).
