CVE-2025-48001 is a time-of-check to time-of-use (TOCTOU) race condition vulnerability identified in Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1809, specifically affecting the BitLocker encryption feature. This vulnerability arises when the system performs a security check (time-of-check) and then uses the checked resource (time-of-use) without ensuring the state remains unchanged between these two operations. An attacker with physical access can exploit this race condition to bypass BitLocker's security protections. BitLocker is designed to protect data at rest by encrypting drives, and bypassing it could allow unauthorized access to sensitive data. The vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 6.8, indicating a medium severity level. The attack vector is physical (AV:P), requiring no privileges (PR:N) or user interaction (UI:N), and it impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability (C:H/I:H/A:H). Although no known exploits are currently in the wild and no patches have been linked yet, the vulnerability poses a significant risk due to the potential for complete compromise of encrypted data through a physical attack exploiting the race condition in BitLocker’s operation.

For European organizations, this vulnerability could have serious consequences, especially for those relying on Windows 10 Version 1809 with BitLocker enabled for data protection. The ability to bypass BitLocker encryption undermines the confidentiality and integrity of sensitive corporate and personal data, potentially leading to data breaches, intellectual property theft, and regulatory non-compliance (e.g., GDPR). Organizations in sectors such as finance, healthcare, government, and critical infrastructure are particularly at risk due to the sensitive nature of their data. The physical attack requirement limits remote exploitation but increases risk in environments where devices may be lost, stolen, or accessed by unauthorized personnel. This vulnerability could also impact trust in device security and increase costs related to incident response, forensic investigations, and potential legal liabilities within the European regulatory framework.

To mitigate this vulnerability, European organizations should prioritize upgrading affected systems to a newer, patched version of Windows 10 or later where the TOCTOU race condition in BitLocker is resolved. Until patches are available, organizations should enforce strict physical security controls to prevent unauthorized physical access to devices, including secure storage, access logging, and tamper-evident measures. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing multi-factor authentication for device access and use hardware-based security modules (e.g., TPM) to strengthen BitLocker’s protection. Regularly auditing and inventorying devices running Windows 10 Version 1809 will help identify at-risk endpoints. Data backup strategies should be reviewed and tested to ensure data recovery in case of compromise. Finally, educating staff about the risks of physical device theft and loss is essential to reduce exposure.