CVE-2025-13663 is a vulnerability classified under CWE-279 (Incorrect Execution-Assigned Permissions) affecting the Altera Quartus Prime Pro software, specifically version 17.0 on Windows platforms. The issue arises because the Quartus Prime Pro Installer does not properly check the permissions of the target installation directory if that directory already exists prior to installation. This flaw can be exploited by a local user with low privileges who can manipulate the existing directory permissions or contents to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges during the installation process. The vulnerability has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.7, indicating medium severity, with the vector AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. This means the attack requires local access, high attack complexity, low privileges, and user interaction, but can result in high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The scope remains unchanged, affecting only the local system. No patches or known exploits are currently available, but the risk lies in potential privilege escalation and unauthorized code execution during installation. This vulnerability is particularly relevant for environments where Quartus Prime Pro is used for FPGA design and development, often in critical industrial and manufacturing contexts.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-13663 can be significant, especially in sectors relying on FPGA design and embedded systems development, such as automotive, aerospace, telecommunications, and industrial automation. Successful exploitation could allow a low-privileged insider or attacker with limited access to escalate privileges, potentially leading to unauthorized modification or theft of intellectual property, disruption of design workflows, or sabotage of critical systems. This could compromise confidentiality of sensitive design data, integrity of hardware configurations, and availability of development environments. Given the importance of semiconductor and embedded system design in Europe’s advanced manufacturing and technology sectors, the vulnerability poses a risk to operational continuity and competitive advantage. Although exploitation requires local access and user interaction, insider threats or compromised endpoints could leverage this flaw to gain elevated control, making it a concern for organizations with shared workstations or insufficient endpoint security controls.

To mitigate CVE-2025-13663, European organizations should implement the following specific measures: 1) Restrict local user permissions to prevent unauthorized users from modifying or pre-creating the Quartus installation directory; 2) Enforce strict access control policies on development workstations to limit who can run installers or modify installation directories; 3) Use application whitelisting and endpoint protection to monitor and block unauthorized installation attempts; 4) Conduct manual verification of directory permissions before running the Quartus Prime Pro installer to ensure no inappropriate permissions exist; 5) Isolate FPGA development environments from general user systems to reduce risk exposure; 6) Monitor installation logs and system events for suspicious activities related to Quartus installations; 7) Engage with Altera (Intel) for updates or patches addressing this vulnerability and apply them promptly once available; 8) Educate users about the risks of running installers from untrusted sources and the importance of following secure installation procedures. These targeted actions go beyond generic advice by focusing on the specific installation permission flaw and the operational context of Quartus Prime Pro.