CVE-2025-20023 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting Intel(R) Graphics Driver software installers. The core issue arises from incorrect default permissions set on certain components of the installer packages. Specifically, these permissions may allow an authenticated user with local access to the system to escalate their privileges beyond their assigned level. This escalation of privilege (EoP) vulnerability means that a user with limited rights (low privilege) could potentially gain higher-level privileges, such as administrative or SYSTEM-level access, by exploiting the misconfigured permissions during the installation or update process of Intel graphics drivers. The vulnerability requires local access and some user interaction, and the attack complexity is high, indicating that exploitation is not trivial but feasible under certain conditions. The CVSS 4.0 vector indicates that the attack requires local access (AV:L), high attack complexity (AC:H), privileges required are low (PR:L), and user interaction is required (UI:A). The impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability is high, meaning successful exploitation could lead to full system compromise. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches or fixed versions are linked in the provided data, though affected versions are referenced elsewhere. This vulnerability is particularly relevant for environments where multiple users share systems or where low-privilege users have local access, as it could be leveraged to gain unauthorized administrative control over the system via the Intel graphics driver installation process.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk especially in enterprise environments where Intel graphics drivers are widely deployed on workstations and laptops. Successful exploitation could allow malicious insiders or compromised low-privilege accounts to escalate privileges, potentially leading to unauthorized access to sensitive data, installation of persistent malware, or disruption of critical business operations. In sectors such as finance, healthcare, and government, where data confidentiality and system integrity are paramount, this vulnerability could facilitate lateral movement and privilege escalation within corporate networks. Additionally, organizations with bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policies or shared computing resources may face increased exposure. The requirement for local access limits remote exploitation but does not eliminate risk, as attackers with physical or remote desktop access could leverage this flaw. The absence of known exploits in the wild suggests limited immediate threat, but the medium severity and high impact on system integrity warrant proactive mitigation to prevent future exploitation.

To mitigate CVE-2025-20023 effectively, European organizations should: 1) Immediately audit and restrict local user permissions to minimize the number of users with local access and ensure that only trusted personnel have low-level access to systems with Intel graphics drivers installed. 2) Monitor and control software installation processes, employing application whitelisting and endpoint protection solutions that can detect or block unauthorized installer modifications or executions. 3) Apply principle of least privilege rigorously, ensuring users operate with the minimum necessary rights and that administrative accounts are segregated and monitored. 4) Stay informed about Intel’s official security advisories and promptly apply patches or updated driver installers once released. 5) Implement robust endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools capable of identifying suspicious privilege escalation attempts or unusual installer behavior. 6) Conduct regular security training to raise awareness about the risks of local privilege escalation and the importance of secure handling of software installers. 7) For environments with shared systems, consider deploying virtualization or containerization to isolate user sessions and reduce the risk of privilege escalation via shared components.