CVE-2025-48806 is a high-severity use-after-free vulnerability identified in the Microsoft MPEG-2 Video Extension component of Windows 10 Version 1809 (build 10.0.17763.0). A use-after-free (CWE-416) vulnerability occurs when a program continues to use a pointer after the memory it points to has been freed, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution, memory corruption, or system crashes. In this case, an authorized attacker with local privileges can exploit this flaw to execute arbitrary code on the affected system without requiring user interaction. The vulnerability affects the MPEG-2 Video Extension, a codec component responsible for decoding MPEG-2 video streams, which is integrated into Windows 10 Version 1809. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.8, indicating a high severity level, with the vector AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H, meaning the attack requires local access with low complexity, privileges, and no user interaction, and can result in high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no official patches or mitigations have been linked yet. The vulnerability was reserved in May 2025 and published in July 2025, indicating recent discovery and disclosure. Given the nature of the vulnerability, exploitation could allow attackers to escalate privileges or execute arbitrary code locally, potentially leading to full system compromise or lateral movement within a network if the affected system is part of a larger infrastructure.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk, especially for those still operating legacy systems running Windows 10 Version 1809, which is an older release but may remain in use in some environments due to compatibility or upgrade delays. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized code execution, data breaches, disruption of services, and potential compromise of sensitive information. Critical infrastructure, government agencies, financial institutions, and enterprises relying on Windows 10 1809 for video processing or multimedia applications could be targeted for local privilege escalation or lateral movement by attackers. The high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability means that successful exploitation could result in data theft, ransomware deployment, or sabotage of critical systems. Since the attack requires local access, threats may arise from insider threats, compromised user accounts, or attackers gaining initial foothold through other means such as phishing or physical access. The lack of user interaction requirement increases the risk of automated or stealthy exploitation once local access is achieved.

European organizations should prioritize identifying and inventorying systems running Windows 10 Version 1809, especially those utilizing the MPEG-2 Video Extension for video processing. Immediate mitigation steps include restricting local access to trusted users only and enforcing strict privilege management to minimize the number of users with local privileges. Applying the latest security updates from Microsoft as soon as they become available is critical, even though no patch links are currently provided, organizations should monitor Microsoft's security advisories closely. Employ application whitelisting and endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools to detect anomalous behavior indicative of exploitation attempts. Network segmentation can limit lateral movement if a system is compromised. Additionally, organizations should consider upgrading affected systems to a more recent, supported version of Windows 10 or Windows 11 where this vulnerability is not present. Implementing strong physical security controls and user account monitoring can help detect and prevent unauthorized local access. Finally, educating users about the risks of local privilege misuse and maintaining robust incident response plans will improve resilience against exploitation.