CVE-2025-24080 is a high-severity use-after-free vulnerability identified in Microsoft Office 2019, specifically version 19.0.0. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-416, which involves the improper handling of memory that has already been freed, leading to potential exploitation scenarios. In this case, an unauthorized attacker can leverage this flaw to execute arbitrary code locally on the affected system. The vulnerability requires local access (AV:L) and low attack complexity (AC:L), does not require privileges (PR:N), but does require user interaction (UI:R), such as opening a malicious document. The scope is unchanged (S:U), meaning the vulnerability affects only the vulnerable component without impacting other components. The impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability is high (C:H/I:H/A:H), indicating that successful exploitation could lead to complete system compromise, including data theft, modification, or denial of service. The CVSS vector also indicates that the exploitability is official (E:U), with an official fix likely forthcoming (RL:O) and confirmed (RC:C). No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, but the vulnerability's characteristics make it a significant risk, especially in environments where Microsoft Office 2019 is widely used. The lack of available patches at the time of publication suggests that organizations must prioritize mitigation and monitoring until updates are released.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-24080 could be substantial due to the widespread use of Microsoft Office 2019 across various sectors including government, finance, healthcare, and critical infrastructure. Exploitation could allow attackers to execute arbitrary code locally, potentially leading to data breaches, ransomware deployment, or disruption of business operations. Given the high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts, sensitive personal data protected under GDPR could be exposed, resulting in regulatory penalties and reputational damage. The requirement for user interaction means phishing or social engineering campaigns could be used to deliver malicious documents, increasing the risk in environments with less stringent email filtering or user awareness. Additionally, the local attack vector implies that attackers might need initial access, which could be gained through other means such as compromised credentials or insider threats, compounding the risk. The absence of known exploits currently provides a window for proactive defense, but the high severity score necessitates urgent attention.

European organizations should implement a multi-layered mitigation strategy: 1) Enforce strict email filtering and attachment scanning to reduce the risk of malicious document delivery. 2) Conduct targeted user awareness training focusing on the risks of opening unsolicited or suspicious Office documents. 3) Apply the principle of least privilege to limit user permissions, reducing the impact of local code execution. 4) Monitor endpoint behavior for unusual activity indicative of exploitation attempts, such as unexpected process launches or memory anomalies. 5) Utilize application control and sandboxing technologies to isolate Office processes and restrict their ability to execute arbitrary code or access sensitive resources. 6) Prepare for rapid deployment of official patches once released by Microsoft by maintaining an up-to-date asset inventory and patch management process. 7) Consider deploying advanced endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions capable of detecting use-after-free exploitation techniques. 8) Review and harden local access controls to prevent unauthorized physical or remote local access to systems running vulnerable Office versions.