CVE-2024-30098 is a high-severity vulnerability identified in Microsoft Windows Server 2025, specifically affecting the Server Core installation variant version 10.0.26100.0. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-327, which involves the use of a broken or risky cryptographic algorithm. This indicates that the Windows Cryptographic Services component in the affected version employs cryptographic algorithms that are considered insecure or weak, potentially allowing attackers to bypass security features that rely on cryptographic guarantees. The vulnerability is classified as a security feature bypass, meaning that an attacker could circumvent protections intended to secure data confidentiality, integrity, or authentication mechanisms. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.5, reflecting a high severity level. The vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/E:U/RL:O/RC:C) indicates that the attack can be performed remotely over the network (AV:N) but requires high attack complexity (AC:H) and low privileges (PR:L) without user interaction (UI:N). The scope is unchanged (S:U), and the impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability is high (C:H/I:H/A:H). The vulnerability has been published and assigned by Microsoft, but as of the publication date, no known exploits are reported in the wild. The lack of patch links suggests that a fix may be forthcoming or pending deployment. The vulnerability could allow attackers to decrypt, modify, or disrupt sensitive communications or data protected by the affected cryptographic services, undermining trust in the server's security posture. This is particularly critical for environments relying on Windows Server 2025 Server Core installations for critical infrastructure or sensitive workloads.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses significant risks, especially for enterprises and public sector entities that utilize Windows Server 2025 Server Core installations in their infrastructure. The high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability means that sensitive data could be exposed or altered, potentially leading to data breaches, loss of intellectual property, or disruption of critical services. Sectors such as finance, healthcare, government, and telecommunications, which often handle sensitive personal and operational data, could be severely affected. The requirement of low privileges for exploitation increases the risk, as attackers with limited access could escalate their capabilities. The high attack complexity somewhat mitigates immediate exploitation risk, but determined threat actors, including nation-state groups or advanced cybercriminals, may still develop exploits. The absence of user interaction means that automated attacks or worm-like propagation could be feasible once an exploit is available. Given Europe's stringent data protection regulations like GDPR, a breach resulting from this vulnerability could also lead to regulatory penalties and reputational damage. Additionally, the Server Core installation is often used in environments prioritizing minimal attack surface and high performance, so this vulnerability undermines those security assumptions.

European organizations should prioritize the following specific mitigation steps: 1) Inventory and identify all Windows Server 2025 Server Core installations within their environment to assess exposure. 2) Monitor official Microsoft channels closely for patches or security updates addressing CVE-2024-30098 and apply them promptly once available. 3) Until patches are released, consider implementing network-level controls such as segmentation and strict firewall rules to limit exposure of affected servers to untrusted networks. 4) Employ enhanced monitoring and anomaly detection focused on cryptographic service usage and network traffic to detect potential exploitation attempts. 5) Review and harden cryptographic configurations to disable deprecated or weak algorithms where possible, aligning with best practices and compliance frameworks. 6) Restrict privileges and access rights to minimize the number of users or processes that can interact with cryptographic services. 7) Conduct penetration testing and vulnerability assessments targeting cryptographic components to identify potential exploitation vectors. 8) Develop and rehearse incident response plans specific to cryptographic failures or breaches to ensure rapid containment and remediation. These measures go beyond generic advice by focusing on proactive identification, configuration hardening, and operational controls tailored to the nature of this cryptographic vulnerability.