CVE-2025-29957 is a vulnerability identified in Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1809, specifically affecting the Windows Deployment Services (WDS) component. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-400, which relates to uncontrolled resource consumption. This type of vulnerability occurs when a system component fails to properly manage resource allocation, allowing an attacker to consume excessive resources such as memory, CPU, or disk space. In this case, an unauthorized local attacker can exploit the flaw to cause a denial of service (DoS) condition by exhausting resources within the WDS service. The vulnerability does not require any privileges or user interaction, making it easier to exploit locally. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 6.2 (medium severity), with the vector indicating local attack vector (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), no user interaction (UI:N), unchanged scope (S:U), no impact on confidentiality or integrity (C:N/I:N), but a high impact on availability (A:H). The vulnerability was published on May 13, 2025, and no known exploits are currently reported in the wild. No patches or mitigation links have been provided yet. The vulnerability could allow an attacker to disrupt the availability of WDS, which is critical for network-based deployment and management of Windows operating systems in enterprise environments.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability could be significant, especially for enterprises and public sector entities that rely on Windows Deployment Services for automated OS deployment and system provisioning. A successful exploitation could lead to denial of service on WDS servers, disrupting IT operations, delaying system rollouts, and potentially impacting business continuity. This can be particularly problematic in large-scale environments such as government agencies, healthcare institutions, and manufacturing sectors where timely deployment and updates are critical. Although the attack requires local access, insider threats or compromised internal accounts could leverage this vulnerability to degrade service availability. The lack of impact on confidentiality and integrity limits data breach risks, but the availability impact alone can cause operational and financial damage. The medium severity rating suggests that while the threat is not critical, it warrants timely attention to prevent service interruptions.

Given the absence of an official patch at this time, European organizations should implement specific mitigations to reduce risk. First, restrict local access to WDS servers strictly to trusted administrators and use strong access controls and monitoring to detect unauthorized access attempts. Employ network segmentation to isolate WDS infrastructure from general user networks to minimize exposure. Monitor system resource usage on WDS servers to detect abnormal spikes that could indicate exploitation attempts. Implement strict auditing and logging of WDS activities to facilitate early detection of suspicious behavior. Consider temporarily disabling or limiting WDS functionality if feasible until a patch is available. Additionally, keep Windows 10 systems updated with the latest cumulative updates and security patches, as Microsoft may release a fix in upcoming updates. Finally, educate internal staff about the risks of local privilege misuse and enforce least privilege principles to reduce the attack surface.