CVE-2025-20018 is a vulnerability identified in certain Intel(R) Graphics Drivers that involves an untrusted pointer dereference. This flaw allows an authenticated local user to potentially escalate their privileges on the affected system. The vulnerability arises from improper handling of pointers within the graphics driver code, which can lead to dereferencing pointers that have not been properly validated or sanitized. Exploiting this vulnerability requires local access and an authenticated user context, but does not require user interaction beyond that. The CVSS 4.0 base score is 6.9, indicating a medium severity level. The vector string (AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N) shows that the attack vector is local, with low attack complexity, no attack prerequisites, and privileges required at a low level. The vulnerability impacts confidentiality and integrity at a high level but does not affect availability. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches or vendor advisories are linked yet. The affected versions are not explicitly listed in the provided data, but references should be consulted for exact impacted driver versions. This vulnerability is significant because Intel Graphics Drivers are widely deployed across many desktop and laptop systems, and privilege escalation vulnerabilities in drivers can be leveraged to gain kernel-level access, potentially bypassing security controls and enabling further malicious activity on the system.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a moderate risk primarily to environments where Intel Graphics Drivers are in use on endpoint devices. The ability for a local authenticated user to escalate privileges could enable insider threats or attackers who have gained limited access to a system to gain full control, potentially leading to data breaches, lateral movement, or persistence within corporate networks. This is particularly concerning for organizations with sensitive intellectual property or regulated data, such as financial institutions, healthcare providers, and government agencies. The impact is heightened in environments where endpoint security controls rely heavily on user privilege separation. However, since exploitation requires local access and authentication, remote exploitation is not feasible, somewhat limiting the attack surface. The lack of known exploits in the wild reduces immediate risk but does not preclude future exploitation. Organizations with large fleets of Intel-based workstations and laptops should prioritize assessment and remediation to prevent potential privilege escalation attacks that could undermine endpoint security.

To mitigate this vulnerability, European organizations should: 1) Identify and inventory all systems using Intel Graphics Drivers, focusing on versions referenced in official advisories once available. 2) Apply vendor-supplied patches promptly when released to address the vulnerability. 3) Enforce the principle of least privilege by restricting user permissions and limiting local administrator accounts to reduce the impact of potential exploitation. 4) Implement endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions capable of monitoring for suspicious local privilege escalation behaviors. 5) Harden endpoint security configurations, including application whitelisting and restricting the execution of unauthorized code. 6) Conduct regular security awareness training to reduce the risk of credential compromise that could enable local authenticated access by attackers. 7) Monitor system logs for unusual activity indicative of privilege escalation attempts. 8) Consider network segmentation and access controls to limit the ability of compromised endpoints to affect critical infrastructure. These measures go beyond generic advice by focusing on proactive identification, patch management, and behavioral detection tailored to the nature of this local privilege escalation vulnerability.