CVE-2025-29794 is a high-severity vulnerability identified in Microsoft SharePoint Enterprise Server 2016, specifically version 16.0.0. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-285, which denotes improper authorization. This flaw allows an attacker who already has some level of authorized access (low privilege) to execute arbitrary code remotely over the network without requiring user interaction. The CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.8 reflects the critical nature of this vulnerability, with high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The attack vector is network-based (AV:N), with low attack complexity (AC:L), requiring privileges (PR:L) but no user interaction (UI:N). The scope remains unchanged (S:U), meaning the exploit affects resources within the same security scope. The vulnerability can lead to complete system compromise, allowing attackers to execute malicious code, potentially leading to data breaches, service disruption, or lateral movement within the network. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the vulnerability’s characteristics make it a significant risk, especially in environments where SharePoint is used for critical collaboration and document management. The lack of available patches at the time of publication increases the urgency for mitigation and monitoring.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a substantial risk due to the widespread use of Microsoft SharePoint Enterprise Server 2016 in enterprise environments for document management, collaboration, and intranet portals. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive corporate data, intellectual property theft, and disruption of business operations. Given the high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts, organizations could face regulatory repercussions under GDPR if personal or sensitive data is compromised. Additionally, the ability for attackers to execute code remotely facilitates further network penetration, potentially enabling ransomware deployment or espionage activities. The vulnerability’s exploitation could particularly affect sectors with high reliance on SharePoint, such as finance, government, healthcare, and manufacturing, which are prevalent across Europe. The absence of user interaction in the attack vector increases the likelihood of automated or stealthy exploitation attempts, raising the threat level for European enterprises.

1. Immediate mitigation should include restricting access to SharePoint Enterprise Server 2016 to trusted internal networks and implementing strict network segmentation to limit exposure. 2. Employ robust monitoring and logging of SharePoint server activities to detect unusual behavior indicative of exploitation attempts. 3. Enforce the principle of least privilege by reviewing and minimizing user permissions within SharePoint to reduce the risk posed by compromised accounts. 4. Apply any available security updates or patches from Microsoft as soon as they are released; in the absence of patches, consider temporary workarounds such as disabling vulnerable features or services if feasible. 5. Utilize Web Application Firewalls (WAF) with custom rules to detect and block suspicious requests targeting SharePoint. 6. Conduct regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing focused on SharePoint environments to identify and remediate weaknesses. 7. Educate IT and security teams about this specific vulnerability to ensure rapid response and incident handling if exploitation is suspected.