CVE-2025-2501 is a high-severity vulnerability classified under CWE-426, which pertains to an untrusted search path issue in Lenovo PC Manager. This vulnerability allows a local attacker with limited privileges to escalate their privileges on the affected system. The root cause lies in the way Lenovo PC Manager resolves executable or library paths without properly validating or restricting the search directories. An attacker could exploit this by placing a malicious executable or DLL in a directory that is searched before the legitimate one, causing the system to load the attacker's code instead of the intended trusted component. This can lead to arbitrary code execution with elevated privileges, compromising system integrity and confidentiality. The CVSS 4.0 score of 8.5 reflects the high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, with low attack complexity and no user interaction required. The vulnerability does not require network access but does require local access with some privileges, which means an attacker must already have some foothold on the system to exploit it. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches have been linked yet, indicating that mitigation relies on vendor updates and user vigilance. Lenovo PC Manager is a utility software pre-installed or provided for Lenovo PCs to manage system updates, drivers, and hardware diagnostics, making it a common component on Lenovo devices.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk, especially those relying heavily on Lenovo hardware and software management tools. Successful exploitation could allow attackers to gain elevated privileges on critical endpoints, potentially leading to full system compromise, data theft, or disruption of business operations. This is particularly concerning for sectors with stringent data protection requirements such as finance, healthcare, and government agencies within Europe. The ability to escalate privileges locally could facilitate lateral movement within corporate networks, undermining endpoint security controls. Given the prevalence of Lenovo devices in enterprise environments across Europe, the vulnerability could be leveraged in targeted attacks or insider threat scenarios. The lack of a patch at the time of disclosure increases the window of exposure, necessitating immediate risk management and mitigation efforts.

Organizations should implement the following specific measures: 1) Restrict local user permissions to the minimum necessary to reduce the risk of privilege escalation. 2) Monitor and audit file system locations commonly used in the search path for unauthorized or suspicious files that could be used to exploit this vulnerability. 3) Employ application whitelisting and code integrity policies to prevent execution of untrusted binaries or DLLs. 4) Isolate Lenovo PC Manager usage to trusted user groups and consider disabling or uninstalling the software temporarily if not critical. 5) Maintain strict control over local administrative accounts and use endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools to detect anomalous behavior indicative of exploitation attempts. 6) Stay alert for official patches or updates from Lenovo and apply them promptly once available. 7) Educate users about the risks of running untrusted software and the importance of reporting unusual system behavior.