CVE-2024-49065 is a medium-severity vulnerability classified as CWE-125 (Out-of-bounds Read) affecting Microsoft SharePoint Enterprise Server 2016, specifically version 16.0.0. This vulnerability involves an out-of-bounds read condition within the SharePoint server, which can be triggered remotely with low complexity and no privileges required, but requires user interaction. The vulnerability does not impact confidentiality or integrity but affects availability, potentially causing denial of service or application crashes. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 5.5, reflecting a medium severity level. The attack vector is local (AV:L), meaning the attacker must have local access to the system, but no privileges are required (PR:N). The vulnerability scope is unchanged (S:U), and exploitation requires user interaction (UI:R). No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no official patches or mitigation links have been published yet. The vulnerability was reserved in October 2024 and published in December 2024. The technical root cause is an out-of-bounds read, which can lead to application instability or crashes, impacting service availability. Since this affects SharePoint Enterprise Server 2016, a widely used collaboration and document management platform in enterprises, the vulnerability could disrupt business operations if exploited.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2024-49065 primarily concerns availability disruptions of SharePoint services. SharePoint is extensively used across various sectors including government, finance, healthcare, and manufacturing for document management and collaboration. An out-of-bounds read vulnerability can cause application crashes or denial of service, potentially interrupting critical workflows and collaboration. Although this vulnerability does not lead to data breaches or integrity compromise, service downtime can affect productivity and operational continuity. Organizations relying heavily on SharePoint Enterprise Server 2016 may face increased risk of service interruptions, especially if local users or insiders inadvertently trigger the vulnerability. The lack of known exploits reduces immediate risk, but the presence of the vulnerability in a widely deployed enterprise product necessitates proactive mitigation to avoid potential exploitation or accidental service outages.

Given the absence of an official patch at this time, European organizations should implement specific mitigations to reduce risk. First, restrict local access to SharePoint servers to trusted administrators and users only, minimizing the attack surface since the attack vector is local. Employ strict user access controls and monitor for unusual user activity that could trigger the vulnerability. Disable or limit features that require user interaction with SharePoint content if feasible, to reduce the chance of exploitation. Conduct thorough testing in controlled environments before allowing user interactions that could trigger the vulnerability. Maintain up-to-date backups and disaster recovery plans to quickly restore service in case of crashes or denial of service. Monitor Microsoft security advisories closely for forthcoming patches and apply them promptly once available. Additionally, consider network segmentation to isolate SharePoint servers from less trusted internal networks to prevent unauthorized local access.