CVE-2025-20025 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting TinyCBOR libraries maintained by Intel prior to version 0.6.1. The vulnerability arises due to uncontrolled recursion within the library's processing logic. Specifically, when an authenticated user with local access interacts with the affected TinyCBOR library, it may trigger excessive recursive calls that lead to resource exhaustion, resulting in a denial of service (DoS) condition. TinyCBOR is a compact binary object representation library used for encoding and decoding CBOR data, commonly utilized in embedded systems, IoT devices, and software components requiring efficient data serialization. The flaw requires local access with low privileges and some user interaction, which limits remote exploitation but still poses a risk in multi-user or shared environments. The CVSS 4.1 score reflects the moderate impact, with the attack vector being local (AV:L), requiring high attack complexity (AC:H), partial privileges (PR:L), and user interaction (UI:A). The vulnerability does not affect confidentiality or integrity but impacts availability by potentially crashing or severely degrading the performance of applications relying on TinyCBOR. No known exploits are reported in the wild, and no official patches or mitigation links have been published yet, emphasizing the need for proactive risk management and monitoring. Organizations using Intel-maintained TinyCBOR libraries in their software stacks should verify their versions and plan upgrades to 0.6.1 or later to remediate this issue.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-20025 depends on the extent to which TinyCBOR libraries are embedded in their operational environments. Given TinyCBOR's popularity in IoT devices, embedded systems, and certain industrial control systems, sectors such as manufacturing, energy, telecommunications, and critical infrastructure could face service disruptions if vulnerable components are exploited. The denial of service could lead to temporary outages, degraded system responsiveness, or forced reboots, potentially affecting operational continuity and safety-critical processes. Since the attack requires local authenticated access, the threat is more pronounced in environments with multiple users or where attackers can gain limited access through compromised credentials or insider threats. In European contexts, where stringent regulations like GDPR and NIS Directive emphasize service availability and resilience, such DoS vulnerabilities could lead to compliance challenges and reputational damage if exploited. Additionally, organizations relying on Intel-based IoT devices or embedded solutions in smart city deployments or healthcare systems may experience operational risks. However, the medium severity and local access requirement somewhat limit the widespread impact, making targeted attacks more likely than broad exploitation campaigns.

To mitigate CVE-2025-20025 effectively, European organizations should: 1) Conduct an inventory of software and devices utilizing Intel-maintained TinyCBOR libraries to identify affected versions prior to 0.6.1. 2) Prioritize upgrading or patching these libraries to version 0.6.1 or later as soon as official patches become available. 3) Restrict local access to systems running vulnerable TinyCBOR components by enforcing strict access controls, multi-factor authentication, and least privilege principles to reduce the risk of authenticated attackers triggering the DoS. 4) Monitor system logs and performance metrics for unusual recursive call patterns or resource exhaustion symptoms indicative of attempted exploitation. 5) Implement application-level safeguards such as input validation and recursion depth limits where possible to prevent uncontrolled recursion. 6) For embedded and IoT devices, coordinate with vendors to ensure firmware updates incorporate the patched TinyCBOR library. 7) Educate system administrators and users about the risks of local privilege misuse and the importance of securing local accounts. These targeted steps go beyond generic advice by focusing on the specific nature of the vulnerability (uncontrolled recursion, local authenticated exploitation) and the typical deployment scenarios of TinyCBOR.