CVE-2025-37735 is a vulnerability classified under CWE-281 (Improper Preservation of Permissions) affecting Elastic Kibana's Elastic Defend component on Windows hosts. The issue arises because the Defend service, which operates with SYSTEM-level privileges, improperly handles file permissions when performing operations, allowing it to delete arbitrary files on the host system. This behavior can be exploited by a local attacker with low privileges to delete critical system or application files, potentially leading to local privilege escalation. The vulnerability affects Kibana versions 8.0.0 and 9.0.0. The CVSS v3.1 score is 7.0 (high), reflecting a local attack vector with high attack complexity, requiring low privileges but no user interaction, and impacting confidentiality, integrity, and availability. No known public exploits or patches are currently available, increasing the urgency for organizations to implement interim mitigations. The vulnerability's exploitation could disrupt system stability, compromise sensitive data, and allow attackers to escalate privileges to SYSTEM level, posing significant risks to enterprise environments that rely on Elastic Stack for monitoring and security analytics.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-37735 could be substantial, especially for those using Elastic Kibana on Windows hosts within critical infrastructure sectors such as finance, energy, telecommunications, and government. The ability to delete arbitrary files with SYSTEM privileges can lead to denial of service, data loss, and unauthorized privilege escalation, undermining system integrity and availability. This could disrupt monitoring and security operations, delaying incident detection and response. Additionally, attackers gaining SYSTEM-level access could move laterally within networks, increasing the risk of broader compromise. The high confidentiality impact means sensitive logs or configuration files could be deleted or tampered with, impeding forensic investigations. The vulnerability's requirement for local access limits remote exploitation but does not eliminate risk, as insider threats or compromised user accounts could be leveraged. Overall, the threat could degrade trust in security monitoring infrastructure and increase operational risk for European enterprises.

1. Restrict local access to Windows hosts running Elastic Defend to trusted administrators only, minimizing the risk of local exploitation. 2. Implement strict file system permissions and auditing on directories and files managed by the Defend service to detect unauthorized deletions. 3. Monitor Windows event logs and Elastic Defend logs for unusual file deletion activities or service behavior indicative of exploitation attempts. 4. Employ endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to identify suspicious processes or privilege escalation attempts related to the Defend service. 5. Prepare for rapid deployment of official patches from Elastic once released; subscribe to vendor advisories for timely updates. 6. Consider isolating critical Elastic Stack components on dedicated hosts with minimal user access. 7. Conduct regular security awareness training to reduce insider threat risks. 8. Review and harden local privilege assignments to prevent low-privilege users from executing unauthorized actions. These targeted steps go beyond generic advice by focusing on controlling local access, monitoring specific service behavior, and preparing for patch management.