CVE-2025-3464 is a high-severity race condition vulnerability identified in ASUS Armoury Crate software versions 5.9.9.0 through 6.1.18. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-367, which pertains to Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) race conditions. This type of flaw occurs when a system checks a condition (such as user authentication or access rights) and then uses the result of that check later, but an attacker can alter the state between the check and the use, leading to unexpected behavior. In this case, the TOCTOU issue in Armoury Crate can potentially allow an attacker with limited privileges (low-level privileges) to bypass authentication mechanisms. The CVSS 4.0 base score of 8.4 reflects a high severity, with the vector indicating that the attack requires local access (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), no attacker privileges required beyond low (PR:L), no user interaction (UI:N), and impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability to a high degree. The vulnerability scope is high, meaning it can affect components beyond the initially vulnerable module. Armoury Crate is a utility software used primarily for managing ASUS hardware features such as RGB lighting, device configuration, and system monitoring. The race condition could allow an attacker to escalate privileges or bypass authentication controls, potentially leading to unauthorized system modifications or access to sensitive configuration data. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the vulnerability's nature and high CVSS score suggest that exploitation could have significant consequences if weaponized. The lack of publicly available patches at the time of publication underscores the need for immediate attention from affected users and administrators.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability could be substantial, especially for those using ASUS hardware managed via Armoury Crate software. The authentication bypass could allow malicious insiders or attackers with limited local access to escalate privileges or manipulate system configurations, potentially leading to unauthorized access to sensitive data, disruption of hardware management functions, or persistence mechanisms on critical systems. This could affect sectors with high reliance on ASUS hardware, including corporate IT environments, research institutions, and manufacturing facilities. Given the high integrity and availability impact, critical infrastructure or operational technology environments using ASUS devices could face operational disruptions or data integrity issues. The vulnerability's local attack vector limits remote exploitation but does not eliminate risk from insider threats or attackers who gain initial footholds through other means. The absence of user interaction requirement further increases the risk of automated or stealthy exploitation once local access is obtained.

European organizations should prioritize the following specific mitigation steps: 1) Immediately inventory all systems running ASUS Armoury Crate within the affected version range (v5.9.9.0 to v6.1.18). 2) Monitor ASUS official channels for security advisories and apply patches or updates as soon as they become available. 3) Restrict local access to systems running Armoury Crate to trusted personnel only, employing strict access controls and endpoint security measures to prevent unauthorized local logins. 4) Implement application whitelisting and integrity monitoring on systems with Armoury Crate to detect unauthorized modifications or suspicious behavior indicative of exploitation attempts. 5) Employ privilege separation and least privilege principles to limit the impact of potential local exploits, ensuring users and processes have only the minimum necessary permissions. 6) Conduct regular audits of system logs and authentication events to identify anomalies that may indicate exploitation attempts. 7) Consider disabling or uninstalling Armoury Crate on systems where it is not essential, reducing the attack surface. These targeted actions go beyond generic patching advice and focus on limiting local attack vectors and early detection.