CVE-2025-1118 is a vulnerability identified in the GRUB2 bootloader, specifically related to its 'dump' command functionality. GRUB2 is a widely used bootloader in many Linux-based systems, responsible for loading the operating system kernel during system startup. The vulnerability arises because the 'dump' command is not properly blocked when GRUB2 is operating in lockdown mode, a security feature designed to restrict certain operations to prevent unauthorized access or tampering. Due to this flaw, an attacker with high privileges (local authenticated user with high privileges) can invoke the 'dump' command to read arbitrary memory contents. This memory disclosure can include sensitive data such as cryptographic signatures, salts, and other confidential information stored in memory. The vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 4.4, indicating a medium severity level. The attack vector is local (AV:L), requiring low attack complexity (AC:L), but it requires high privileges (PR:H) and no user interaction (UI:N). The scope is unchanged (S:U), and the impact is primarily on confidentiality (C:H), with no impact on integrity or availability. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches or vendor-specific mitigations have been linked yet. This vulnerability could be leveraged in scenarios where an attacker has already gained elevated access to a system but seeks to extract additional sensitive information from memory that could facilitate further attacks or privilege escalation.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-1118 can be significant in environments relying on Linux systems that use GRUB2 as their bootloader, especially in sectors where data confidentiality is critical, such as finance, healthcare, government, and critical infrastructure. The ability to extract cryptographic material like signatures and salts from memory could enable attackers to bypass security mechanisms, decrypt sensitive data, or forge authentication tokens. This could lead to data breaches, loss of intellectual property, or compromise of secure communications. Since the vulnerability requires high privileges, it is less likely to be exploited remotely but poses a risk in insider threat scenarios or where attackers have already achieved partial system access. European organizations with strict data protection regulations (e.g., GDPR) must be particularly cautious, as exploitation could lead to regulatory penalties and reputational damage. The lack of impact on system integrity and availability reduces the risk of direct service disruption but does not diminish the confidentiality risks associated with memory disclosure.

To mitigate CVE-2025-1118, European organizations should: 1) Monitor for and restrict access to systems with GRUB2 bootloaders, ensuring that only trusted administrators have high privilege access. 2) Implement strict access controls and auditing on systems to detect any unauthorized attempts to invoke GRUB commands. 3) Apply any available patches or updates from GRUB2 maintainers or Linux distribution vendors as soon as they are released. 4) Consider deploying kernel lockdown features and secure boot mechanisms that complement GRUB2 lockdown mode to reduce the attack surface. 5) Use memory encryption technologies where possible to limit the usefulness of memory dumps. 6) Conduct regular security assessments and penetration testing to identify privilege escalation paths that could lead to exploitation of this vulnerability. 7) Educate system administrators about the risks of local privilege misuse and enforce the principle of least privilege. 8) In environments where patching is delayed, consider isolating critical systems or using virtualization/containerization to limit exposure.