CVE-2025-14305 identifies a Local Privilege Escalation (LPE) vulnerability in the Acer ListCheck.exe component. The root cause is an incorrect authorization mechanism (CWE-863) that allows authenticated local users to replace the legitimate ListCheck.exe binary with a malicious executable of the same name. Since ListCheck.exe is executed by the system with elevated privileges, this replacement leads to privilege escalation, granting the attacker higher system rights than originally assigned. The vulnerability does not require user interaction and can be exploited by any authenticated local user with the ability to write to the location where ListCheck.exe resides. The CVSS 4.0 score of 8.5 reflects a high severity due to the ease of exploitation (low attack complexity), no need for user interaction, and the significant impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability (all rated high). The vulnerability affects Acer systems running the vulnerable version of ListCheck.exe, though specific version details are not provided. No patches or known exploits are currently available, but the vulnerability is publicly disclosed and should be addressed promptly. The flaw highlights a failure in proper authorization checks to prevent unauthorized file replacement, a critical security oversight in software design.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk especially in environments where multiple users share access to Acer devices, such as corporate offices, educational institutions, and public service terminals. An attacker with local authenticated access could escalate privileges to gain administrative control, potentially leading to full system compromise, unauthorized data access, or disruption of services. This could result in breaches of sensitive data protected under GDPR, operational downtime, and reputational damage. The impact is heightened in sectors with strict compliance requirements or critical infrastructure where elevated privileges can lead to lateral movement or deployment of ransomware. Since the vulnerability requires local access, organizations with strong physical and logical access controls may reduce risk, but environments with lax endpoint security or shared user accounts remain vulnerable. The absence of patches increases the window of exposure, making proactive mitigation essential.

1. Restrict write permissions on directories containing ListCheck.exe to trusted administrators only, preventing unauthorized replacement of the executable. 2. Implement application whitelisting and integrity monitoring tools to detect and block unauthorized changes to critical system files like ListCheck.exe. 3. Enforce strict local user account management policies to limit the number of users with local authenticated access, especially on shared devices. 4. Use endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to monitor for suspicious activities indicative of privilege escalation attempts. 5. Regularly audit system files and logs for anomalies related to ListCheck.exe execution and modifications. 6. Coordinate with Acer for timely patch deployment once available, and subscribe to vendor security advisories. 7. Educate IT staff and users about the risks of local privilege escalation and the importance of maintaining endpoint security hygiene. 8. Consider network segmentation and least privilege principles to limit the impact of a compromised endpoint.