CVE-2025-47163 is a high-severity vulnerability classified under CWE-502, which pertains to the deserialization of untrusted data. This vulnerability affects Microsoft SharePoint Enterprise Server 2016, specifically version 16.0.0. Deserialization vulnerabilities occur when an application deserializes data from untrusted sources without sufficient validation, potentially allowing attackers to manipulate the serialized data to execute arbitrary code. In this case, an authorized attacker—meaning one with some level of legitimate access to the SharePoint environment—can exploit this flaw remotely over a network to execute arbitrary code on the affected server. The vulnerability does not require user interaction, and the attack complexity is low, as indicated by the CVSS vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N). The impact is critical across confidentiality, integrity, and availability, as successful exploitation can lead to full system compromise, data theft, or service disruption. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the vulnerability's public disclosure and high CVSS score suggest that exploitation could be imminent if not addressed. The lack of available patches at the time of publication increases the urgency for mitigation. This vulnerability is particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where SharePoint is used to store and manage sensitive corporate data and workflows.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-47163 could be severe. SharePoint Enterprise Server 2016 is widely used in large enterprises, government agencies, and educational institutions across Europe for collaboration and document management. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data, including personal data protected under GDPR, intellectual property, and confidential business information. The ability to execute arbitrary code remotely could allow attackers to deploy ransomware, establish persistent backdoors, or move laterally within networks, severely disrupting business operations. Given the high availability of SharePoint in critical sectors such as finance, healthcare, and public administration in Europe, the vulnerability poses a significant risk to data confidentiality, system integrity, and service availability. Additionally, the requirement for an authorized user to exploit the vulnerability means insider threats or compromised credentials could facilitate attacks, increasing the risk profile for organizations with large user bases or less stringent access controls.

To mitigate this vulnerability effectively, European organizations should: 1) Immediately review and restrict SharePoint user privileges to the minimum necessary, reducing the number of authorized users who could exploit the vulnerability. 2) Monitor SharePoint logs and network traffic for unusual deserialization activity or anomalous behavior indicative of exploitation attempts. 3) Implement network segmentation to isolate SharePoint servers from less trusted network zones, limiting attacker lateral movement. 4) Apply strict input validation and sanitization policies where custom SharePoint solutions or third-party add-ons deserialize data, reducing the risk of malicious payloads. 5) Prepare for patch deployment by closely monitoring Microsoft’s security advisories and testing updates in controlled environments to ensure compatibility. 6) Employ application whitelisting and endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to detect and block unauthorized code execution. 7) Conduct regular security awareness training to reduce the risk of credential compromise that could enable exploitation. These targeted actions go beyond generic patching advice and focus on reducing the attack surface and early detection.