CVE-2025-49756 is a vulnerability identified in Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise, specifically version 16.0.1, related to the use of a broken or risky cryptographic algorithm within the Office Developer Platform. This weakness falls under CWE-327, which concerns the use of cryptographic algorithms that are considered insecure or deprecated, potentially allowing attackers to compromise the security guarantees expected from cryptographic protections. In this case, the vulnerability enables an authorized attacker with local access to bypass a security feature. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 3.3, indicating a low severity level. The attack vector is local (AV:L), requiring low privileges (PR:L) and user interaction (UI:R), with high attack complexity (AC:H). The impact is limited to low confidentiality and integrity loss, with no availability impact. No known exploits are reported in the wild, and no patches have been linked yet. The vulnerability does not allow remote exploitation and requires the attacker to have some level of access and interaction, limiting its scope. The core issue is the reliance on a cryptographic algorithm that is no longer considered secure, which could undermine the protection of sensitive data or security controls within the Microsoft 365 Apps environment if exploited.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability is relatively limited due to its low severity and the requirement for local access and user interaction. However, organizations using Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise extensively, especially in environments where local access controls are less stringent, could face risks of security feature bypasses that might lead to minor confidentiality and integrity breaches. This could affect sensitive document handling, internal automation, or developer platform features that rely on cryptographic protections. While the vulnerability does not directly threaten availability or allow remote exploitation, it could be leveraged in targeted attacks by insiders or through social engineering to escalate privileges or bypass security controls. Given the widespread adoption of Microsoft 365 in Europe, even low-severity vulnerabilities warrant attention to maintain compliance with data protection regulations such as GDPR, which emphasize safeguarding personal and sensitive data.

To mitigate this vulnerability, European organizations should: 1) Ensure that Microsoft 365 Apps for Enterprise is updated promptly once Microsoft releases a patch addressing CVE-2025-49756. 2) Enforce strict local access controls and limit privileges to reduce the risk of authorized attackers exploiting this vulnerability. 3) Educate users about the risks of social engineering and the importance of cautious interaction with prompts or features that could trigger the vulnerability. 4) Review and harden cryptographic policies and configurations within the Office Developer Platform and related components to avoid reliance on deprecated algorithms. 5) Implement monitoring and auditing of local security feature bypass attempts to detect potential exploitation. 6) Consider application whitelisting and endpoint protection solutions that can prevent unauthorized code execution or manipulation of cryptographic functions. These steps go beyond generic patching advice by focusing on access control, user awareness, and cryptographic hygiene specific to the affected platform.