CVE-2025-20623 is a vulnerability identified in Intel Core processors of the 10th generation, involving an information disclosure flaw rooted in the shared microarchitectural predictor state. This predictor state influences transient execution—a speculative execution technique used by modern CPUs to improve performance. The flaw allows an authenticated local user with low privileges to exploit the shared predictor state to leak sensitive information from other processes or security contexts. The vulnerability does not require user interaction but does require local access and privileges, making remote exploitation infeasible. The CVSS 4.0 base score is 5.7 (medium), reflecting the complexity of exploitation (high attack complexity) and the requirement for privileges. The vulnerability impacts confidentiality (high impact) but does not affect integrity or availability. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no official patches or microcode updates have been linked yet, though Intel and OS vendors are expected to release mitigations. This vulnerability is part of a class of transient execution side-channel attacks, which have been a focus of CPU security research since Spectre and Meltdown. The shared predictor state can be manipulated to infer data from other security domains, potentially exposing sensitive information such as cryptographic keys or personal data. The affected systems are those running Intel 10th generation Core processors, which are widely deployed in enterprise and consumer environments. The technical challenge of exploiting this vulnerability limits its immediate risk, but it remains a concern for environments with sensitive data and multiple users or processes running concurrently on the same hardware.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2025-20623 is the potential unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information due to the leakage of data across security boundaries within the CPU. This can compromise confidentiality of critical data such as intellectual property, personal data protected under GDPR, or cryptographic keys used for secure communications. Sectors such as finance, healthcare, government, and critical infrastructure are particularly at risk due to the sensitivity of their data and regulatory requirements. The requirement for local authenticated access limits the threat to insider attacks or attackers who have already gained some foothold in the network, emphasizing the importance of internal security controls. The vulnerability does not affect system integrity or availability, so direct disruption or data manipulation is not a concern. However, the exposure of confidential information can lead to secondary impacts such as reputational damage, regulatory penalties, and loss of competitive advantage. Given the widespread use of Intel 10th generation processors in European enterprise desktops, laptops, and servers, many organizations could be affected if mitigations are not applied promptly.

1. Monitor Intel and OS vendor advisories closely for the release of microcode updates and operating system patches specifically addressing CVE-2025-20623, and prioritize their deployment in affected environments. 2. Implement strict access controls to limit local authenticated user access, especially on multi-user systems and shared environments, to reduce the risk of exploitation by insiders or compromised accounts. 3. Employ endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools to monitor for unusual local activity that could indicate attempts to exploit transient execution vulnerabilities. 4. Consider hardware upgrades to newer Intel processor generations or alternative architectures that are not affected by this vulnerability, especially for high-risk systems. 5. Use virtualization and containerization with caution, ensuring that hypervisors and container runtimes are updated to mitigate side-channel risks. 6. Educate internal users about the risks of local privilege escalation and insider threats to reinforce security hygiene. 7. Review and harden internal network segmentation and endpoint security policies to minimize the attack surface for local attackers. 8. For highly sensitive environments, consider disabling hyper-threading if recommended by Intel or security advisories, as it can reduce side-channel attack vectors related to shared CPU resources.