CVE-2025-54115 is a race condition vulnerability classified under CWE-362, affecting Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1809, specifically within the Hyper-V virtualization component. The vulnerability stems from improper synchronization when multiple threads or processes concurrently access shared resources, leading to a race condition. This flaw can be exploited by an attacker with local authorized access to the system to elevate their privileges beyond their current level. The attacker does not require user interaction to exploit this vulnerability, but the attack complexity is high due to the need to precisely time concurrent operations to trigger the race condition. Successful exploitation can compromise the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected system, potentially allowing the attacker to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges, manipulate system resources, or disrupt services. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.0, reflecting high severity with local attack vector, high attack complexity, low privileges required, and no user interaction. Although no known exploits have been reported in the wild as of the publication date, the vulnerability poses a significant risk to environments running Windows 10 Version 1809 with Hyper-V enabled. The lack of available patches at the time of disclosure necessitates immediate risk mitigation through access controls and monitoring until official updates are released.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-54115 is considerable, particularly for enterprises and government agencies that utilize Windows 10 Version 1809 with Hyper-V virtualization. Privilege escalation vulnerabilities can lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data, disruption of critical services, and potential lateral movement within networks. This is especially critical for sectors such as finance, healthcare, energy, and public administration, where confidentiality and integrity of data are paramount. The ability to elevate privileges locally means that insider threats or attackers who have gained limited access can significantly increase their control over affected systems. The vulnerability could also undermine trust in virtualized environments that are widely used for server consolidation and cloud services. Given the high severity and the potential for full system compromise, organizations face risks including data breaches, operational downtime, and regulatory non-compliance under GDPR and other data protection laws.

1. Immediately restrict local access to systems running Windows 10 Version 1809 with Hyper-V enabled, limiting it to trusted personnel only. 2. Implement strict user account control policies to minimize the number of users with local access and privileges. 3. Monitor system and security logs for unusual privilege escalation attempts or abnormal Hyper-V activity. 4. Employ application whitelisting and endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to detect and block suspicious behavior related to race conditions or privilege escalation. 5. Until patches are released, consider disabling Hyper-V on non-essential systems to reduce the attack surface. 6. Prepare to deploy official security updates from Microsoft promptly once available, and test patches in controlled environments before widespread deployment. 7. Conduct security awareness training to inform administrators and users about the risks of local privilege escalation and the importance of maintaining secure access controls. 8. Review and harden virtualization configurations and isolate critical virtual machines to limit potential impact.