CVE-2025-53730 is a use-after-free vulnerability classified under CWE-416 found in Microsoft Office 2019 Visio component. This vulnerability occurs when the application improperly manages memory, freeing an object while it is still in use, which can lead to execution of arbitrary code. An attacker can exploit this flaw by convincing a user to open a specially crafted Visio file, triggering the use-after-free condition. Since the vulnerability requires local access and user interaction (opening the malicious file), it does not allow remote exploitation without user involvement. The vulnerability affects version 19.0.0 of Microsoft Office 2019 and has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.8, indicating high severity. The vector metrics (AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H) show that the attack requires local access with low complexity, no privileges, but user interaction, and impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability at a high level. No patches were listed at the time of publication, and no known exploits have been reported in the wild, but the vulnerability is publicly disclosed and should be considered a significant risk. The flaw could be leveraged to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the user running Visio, potentially leading to full system compromise if the user has elevated rights.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk especially in sectors where Microsoft Office 2019 Visio is widely used for diagramming and documentation, such as engineering, finance, and government agencies. Successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized code execution, resulting in data breaches, system compromise, or disruption of critical business processes. The impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability is high, as attackers could manipulate or exfiltrate sensitive information, alter documents, or disrupt operations. Given the local and user-interaction requirements, insider threats or targeted phishing campaigns could be effective attack vectors. The lack of known exploits currently reduces immediate risk but also means organizations must proactively prepare. The vulnerability could also be leveraged as a foothold for lateral movement within networks, increasing the potential damage. European organizations with strict data protection regulations (e.g., GDPR) must consider the compliance implications of such a breach.

Organizations should prioritize deploying official patches from Microsoft as soon as they become available. Until patches are released, practical mitigations include restricting the use of Microsoft Visio to trusted users and environments, disabling the preview or automatic opening of Visio files in email clients, and implementing application whitelisting to prevent execution of untrusted code. User education to recognize phishing attempts and avoid opening suspicious Visio files is critical. Employ endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to monitor for anomalous behavior related to Visio processes. Network segmentation can limit the impact of a compromised host. Additionally, applying the principle of least privilege to user accounts running Visio reduces the potential impact of exploitation. Regular backups and incident response plans should be updated to address potential exploitation scenarios.