CVE-2025-55230 is a high-severity vulnerability identified in Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1809 (build 10.0.17763.0), specifically within the MBT Transport driver component. The root cause is an untrusted pointer dereference, classified under CWE-822, which occurs when the driver improperly handles pointers that can be influenced by an attacker. This flaw allows an authorized local attacker—meaning someone with some level of access to the system but not necessarily administrative privileges—to escalate their privileges to a higher level, potentially SYSTEM or equivalent. The vulnerability does not require user interaction and has a low attack complexity, indicating that exploitation is straightforward once local access is obtained. The CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.8 reflects the high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, as successful exploitation can lead to full control over the affected system. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches have been linked yet, suggesting that mitigation may currently rely on workarounds or system hardening. The vulnerability affects a legacy Windows 10 version (1809), which is still in use in some environments, particularly in enterprise and industrial systems where long-term support versions are preferred. The MBT Transport driver is a kernel-mode component, so exploitation can lead to kernel-level code execution, making this a critical escalation vector for attackers who have gained limited local access.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk, especially to those still running Windows 10 Version 1809 in production environments. Privilege escalation vulnerabilities are critical because they can allow attackers who have gained initial footholds—through phishing, insider threats, or other means—to elevate their privileges and move laterally or gain persistent control over systems. This can lead to data breaches, ransomware deployment, or disruption of critical services. Sectors such as finance, healthcare, manufacturing, and government agencies in Europe are particularly at risk due to their reliance on legacy systems and the sensitive nature of their data. Additionally, industrial control systems and embedded devices running this Windows version could be targeted, potentially impacting critical infrastructure. The lack of known exploits in the wild currently reduces immediate risk, but the availability of detailed vulnerability information means that attackers may develop exploits rapidly. The vulnerability’s local attack vector limits remote exploitation but does not eliminate risk from insider threats or compromised user accounts.

European organizations should prioritize upgrading or patching affected systems as soon as Microsoft releases an official fix. Until a patch is available, practical mitigations include: 1) Restricting local user privileges to the minimum necessary, avoiding granting unnecessary access rights that could be leveraged for privilege escalation. 2) Implementing strict application whitelisting and endpoint protection solutions that can detect or block suspicious attempts to exploit kernel-mode drivers. 3) Monitoring for unusual local privilege escalation attempts via security information and event management (SIEM) systems, focusing on anomalies in driver behavior or system calls related to the MBT Transport driver. 4) Employing network segmentation to limit the spread of an attacker who gains local access. 5) Encouraging users to avoid running legacy Windows 10 1809 systems unless absolutely necessary, and planning migration to supported Windows versions with active security updates. 6) Using virtualization-based security features available in newer Windows versions to isolate critical processes and drivers. These steps go beyond generic advice by focusing on minimizing local privilege abuse and monitoring specific attack vectors related to kernel driver exploitation.