CVE-2025-47982 is a high-severity vulnerability identified in Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1809 (build 10.0.17763.0). The flaw arises from improper input validation in the Windows Storage Virtual Service Provider (VSP) Driver component. This vulnerability is classified under CWE-20, which pertains to improper input validation, indicating that the affected component does not correctly verify or sanitize input data before processing it. Exploiting this vulnerability allows an authorized attacker—meaning one with some level of legitimate access to the system—to perform a local privilege escalation (LPE). Specifically, the attacker can elevate their privileges from a lower-privileged user context to higher privileges, potentially SYSTEM-level, thereby gaining full control over the affected system. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.8, reflecting a high severity level. The vector string (AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H) indicates that the attack requires local access (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), and low privileges (PR:L), with no user interaction (UI:N). The impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability is high (C:H/I:H/A:H), meaning successful exploitation can fully compromise the system. The scope remains unchanged (S:U), so the vulnerability affects only the vulnerable component and not other components. There are no known exploits in the wild at the time of publication, and no patches have been linked yet. The vulnerability was reserved in May 2025 and published in July 2025. Given the affected product is Windows 10 Version 1809, which is an older version of Windows 10, the vulnerability primarily impacts systems that have not been updated to newer versions or are maintained on legacy builds for compatibility reasons. The Windows Storage VSP Driver is a critical system component involved in storage virtualization services, so exploitation could allow attackers to manipulate storage operations or gain unauthorized access to sensitive data or system functions.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk, especially for those running legacy Windows 10 Version 1809 systems in production environments. The ability for an authorized local attacker to escalate privileges can lead to full system compromise, enabling lateral movement, installation of persistent malware, data exfiltration, or disruption of critical services. Sectors such as finance, healthcare, government, and critical infrastructure, which often have strict regulatory requirements around data protection and system integrity, could face severe operational and compliance impacts if exploited. Additionally, organizations with bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policies or shared workstation environments may be more exposed, as attackers with limited access could leverage this flaw to gain elevated privileges. The lack of known exploits in the wild currently reduces immediate risk, but the high severity and ease of exploitation (low complexity, no user interaction) mean that once exploit code becomes available, rapid exploitation could occur. Furthermore, since Windows 10 Version 1809 is no longer the latest Windows 10 release, organizations that have not migrated to supported versions may be disproportionately affected, increasing their attack surface.

1. Immediate mitigation should focus on upgrading affected systems to a supported and fully patched version of Windows 10 or later, as Microsoft typically backports security fixes to supported versions. 2. If upgrading is not immediately feasible, organizations should implement strict access controls to limit local user privileges, ensuring that only trusted users have local access to vulnerable systems. 3. Employ application whitelisting and endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools to monitor for suspicious privilege escalation attempts related to storage drivers. 4. Regularly audit and harden system configurations to reduce the attack surface, including disabling unnecessary services and drivers where possible. 5. Monitor security advisories from Microsoft for the release of patches addressing CVE-2025-47982 and apply them promptly once available. 6. Implement network segmentation to isolate legacy systems and limit lateral movement opportunities. 7. Conduct user training to raise awareness about the risks of local privilege escalation and the importance of reporting unusual system behavior. These steps go beyond generic advice by emphasizing legacy system management, proactive monitoring, and access control hardening tailored to the nature of this vulnerability.