CVE-2025-53722 is a high-severity vulnerability classified under CWE-400 (Uncontrolled Resource Consumption) affecting Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1809 (build 10.0.17763.0). The vulnerability resides in the Windows Remote Desktop Services (RDS) component, which is responsible for enabling remote connections to Windows systems. An unauthorized attacker can exploit this flaw remotely over the network without requiring any authentication or user interaction. By sending specially crafted requests to the RDS service, the attacker can cause excessive consumption of system resources such as CPU, memory, or network bandwidth. This resource exhaustion leads to a denial of service (DoS) condition, rendering the affected system unresponsive or causing it to crash. The CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.5 reflects the high impact on availability (A:H) with no impact on confidentiality or integrity. The attack vector is network-based (AV:N), with low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), and no user interaction needed (UI:N). The scope remains unchanged (S:U), meaning the impact is limited to the vulnerable component. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the vulnerability's characteristics make it a plausible target for attackers aiming to disrupt services. The absence of published patches at this time increases the risk for unpatched systems. Given that Windows 10 Version 1809 is an older release, many organizations may have legacy systems still running this version, especially in environments where upgrading is delayed due to compatibility or operational constraints.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk to business continuity and operational stability, especially for those relying on Windows 10 Version 1809 systems with Remote Desktop Services enabled. Critical infrastructure sectors such as finance, healthcare, manufacturing, and government agencies often use RDS for remote administration and telework. An attacker exploiting this vulnerability could cause widespread denial of service, disrupting remote access capabilities and potentially halting critical operations. The impact is particularly severe in scenarios where remote desktop access is a primary means of system management or user connectivity, such as during increased remote work trends. Additionally, organizations with limited patch management resources or legacy system dependencies are more vulnerable. The lack of confidentiality or integrity impact means data breaches are unlikely directly from this vulnerability; however, the availability disruption can indirectly affect service delivery, compliance with regulatory uptime requirements (e.g., GDPR mandates on service availability), and cause reputational damage. The threat also increases the risk of cascading failures if critical systems become unavailable, potentially affecting interconnected services and supply chains within Europe.

1. Immediate mitigation should focus on isolating or restricting access to Remote Desktop Services on Windows 10 Version 1809 systems. This can be achieved by limiting RDS exposure to trusted internal networks or VPNs and blocking RDS ports (default TCP 3389) at network perimeters where possible. 2. Implement network-level authentication and strong access controls to reduce the attack surface, even though this vulnerability does not require authentication. 3. Monitor network traffic for unusual or excessive RDS connection attempts or resource usage patterns indicative of exploitation attempts. 4. Where feasible, upgrade affected systems to a supported and patched version of Windows 10 or later, as newer versions are less likely to be vulnerable. 5. Employ resource limiting and quality of service (QoS) controls on servers hosting RDS to prevent single clients from exhausting system resources. 6. Maintain robust incident response plans to quickly detect and recover from denial of service conditions. 7. Stay informed on vendor advisories for patches or workarounds and apply them promptly once available. 8. For organizations unable to upgrade immediately, consider deploying host-based intrusion prevention systems (HIPS) or endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions capable of detecting anomalous RDS activity.