CVE-2025-24827 is a local privilege escalation vulnerability identified in the Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud Agent for Windows, specifically in versions prior to build 39378. The vulnerability arises from improper handling of Dynamic Link Library (DLL) loading, categorized under CWE-426 (Untrusted Search Path). This DLL hijacking flaw allows an attacker with local access to the affected system to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges by placing a malicious DLL in a location that the Acronis agent loads before the legitimate DLL. Since the agent runs with elevated privileges, successful exploitation can lead to privilege escalation from a standard user to SYSTEM or administrative level. The vulnerability requires local access, meaning the attacker must already have some foothold on the machine, but no authentication or user interaction beyond local presence is necessary. There are no known exploits in the wild at the time of publication (January 31, 2025), and no official patches have been released yet. The affected product, Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud Agent, is a widely used endpoint protection and backup solution deployed in enterprise environments to secure data and systems. The flaw could be leveraged to bypass security controls, tamper with backups, or disable protection mechanisms, undermining the overall security posture of affected systems.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability can be significant, especially for enterprises relying on Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud Agent for endpoint security and data protection. Successful exploitation could allow attackers to gain elevated privileges on critical systems, enabling them to manipulate backup data, disable security features, or deploy further malware with high-level access. This could lead to data breaches, loss of data integrity, and disruption of business continuity. Sectors such as finance, healthcare, manufacturing, and government agencies, which often use Acronis solutions for compliance and data protection, may face increased risks of targeted attacks exploiting this flaw. Additionally, the local nature of the vulnerability means that insider threats or attackers who have already compromised user accounts could escalate their privileges, amplifying the damage. The absence of a patch increases the window of exposure, and organizations may face regulatory and reputational consequences if exploited.

Given the lack of an official patch, European organizations should implement several specific mitigation strategies beyond generic advice: 1) Restrict local access strictly by enforcing least privilege principles and limiting administrative rights to reduce the risk of local attackers placing malicious DLLs. 2) Employ application whitelisting and integrity monitoring tools to detect unauthorized DLLs or modifications in the directories used by the Acronis agent. 3) Use Windows Group Policy to configure safe DLL search paths or enable 'SafeDllSearchMode' to ensure the system searches for DLLs in secure locations first. 4) Monitor system logs and endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools for suspicious DLL loading activities related to the Acronis agent process. 5) Isolate critical backup and security systems in segmented network zones to limit lateral movement if local compromise occurs. 6) Prepare for rapid deployment of patches once released by Acronis and maintain communication with the vendor for updates. 7) Conduct internal audits to identify all endpoints running vulnerable versions and prioritize their protection and monitoring.