CVE-2025-24059 is a high-severity vulnerability identified in the Windows Common Log File System (CLFS) driver present in Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1809 (build 10.0.17763.0). The root cause is an incorrect conversion between numeric types within the CLFS driver, which can lead to memory corruption or logic errors. This vulnerability falls under CWE-681 (Incorrect Conversion between Numeric Types), which often results in unexpected behavior when numeric values are improperly cast or truncated, potentially leading to security issues such as buffer overflows or privilege escalation. In this case, an authorized local attacker—meaning a user with some level of access to the system—can exploit this flaw to elevate their privileges. The vulnerability does not require user interaction and has a low attack complexity, but it does require local access with some privileges (PR:L). The impact is critical across confidentiality, integrity, and availability, as successful exploitation allows an attacker to gain higher privileges, potentially full SYSTEM-level control. This could enable unauthorized access to sensitive data, modification of system files, installation of persistent malware, or disruption of system operations. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches or mitigation links have been published yet. The vulnerability was reserved in mid-January 2025 and published in March 2025, indicating it is a recent discovery. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 7.8, reflecting high severity with the vector AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H, meaning local attack vector, low complexity, privileges required, no user interaction, unchanged scope, and high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk especially to enterprises and government agencies still running Windows 10 Version 1809, which is an older but still in-use OS version in some sectors. Successful exploitation could allow attackers with limited access—such as low-privilege employees, contractors, or malware that has gained initial foothold—to escalate privileges to SYSTEM level, bypassing security controls and gaining full control over affected machines. This could lead to data breaches involving sensitive personal or corporate data, disruption of critical services, and deployment of ransomware or other persistent threats. Organizations in sectors with strict regulatory requirements (e.g., finance, healthcare, critical infrastructure) could face compliance violations and reputational damage. The lack of available patches increases the urgency for interim mitigations. Since the vulnerability requires local access, remote exploitation is not feasible, but insider threats or lateral movement within networks could leverage this flaw to deepen compromise.

1. Immediate mitigation should focus on restricting local access to systems running Windows 10 Version 1809. Implement strict access controls and monitor for unusual privilege escalation attempts. 2. Employ application whitelisting and endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to detect anomalous behavior indicative of exploitation attempts targeting the CLFS driver. 3. Disable or limit use of the Common Log File System driver where feasible, or apply group policies to restrict its usage if possible. 4. Enforce the principle of least privilege rigorously, ensuring users and services operate with minimal necessary rights to reduce the attack surface. 5. Monitor system logs for signs of exploitation, such as unexpected privilege escalations or crashes related to CLFS. 6. Plan and prioritize upgrading affected systems to a supported Windows version with security patches once available. 7. Until patches are released, consider isolating vulnerable systems from critical network segments to limit lateral movement. 8. Educate IT staff and users about the risk and signs of exploitation to improve detection and response readiness.