CVE-2025-55230 is a high-severity vulnerability identified in Microsoft Windows 10 Version 1809, specifically in the MBT Transport driver component. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-822, which refers to untrusted pointer dereference. This type of flaw occurs when the software dereferences a pointer that can be influenced or controlled by an attacker, leading to undefined behavior such as memory corruption or execution of arbitrary code. In this case, the vulnerability allows an authorized local attacker to elevate their privileges on the affected system. The attacker must have some level of local access (i.e., they must be able to execute code on the machine with limited privileges) but does not require user interaction to exploit the flaw. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.8, indicating a high severity, with metrics showing low attack complexity, low privileges required, no user interaction, and high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The vulnerability affects Windows 10 Version 1809 (build 10.0.17763.0), a version that, while older, may still be in use in some enterprise environments. No public exploits are currently known in the wild, and no official patches have been linked yet, suggesting that mitigation may rely on workarounds or system hardening until a patch is released. The vulnerability's exploitation could allow attackers to gain SYSTEM-level privileges from a lower-privileged context, potentially enabling full system compromise, installation of persistent malware, or lateral movement within a network.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk, especially for those still running legacy Windows 10 Version 1809 systems, which may be found in industrial control environments, government agencies, or enterprises with slow upgrade cycles. Successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized privilege escalation, allowing attackers to bypass security controls, access sensitive data, disrupt services, or deploy ransomware. The high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability means that critical infrastructure, financial institutions, healthcare providers, and public sector organizations could face severe operational and reputational damage. Given the local nature of the attack, insider threats or attackers who gain initial footholds through phishing or other means could leverage this vulnerability to deepen their access. The lack of known exploits in the wild currently reduces immediate risk, but the availability of detailed vulnerability information and the absence of patches increase the urgency for proactive mitigation.

European organizations should prioritize identifying and inventorying systems running Windows 10 Version 1809 to assess exposure. Until an official patch is released, mitigations should include applying the principle of least privilege to limit local user rights, disabling or restricting access to the MBT Transport driver if feasible, and employing application whitelisting to prevent unauthorized code execution. Enhanced endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions should be configured to monitor for suspicious local privilege escalation attempts. Network segmentation can limit the impact of compromised hosts. Organizations should also enforce strict local account management policies, disable unnecessary local accounts, and ensure robust logging and alerting for privilege escalation events. Planning and testing for rapid deployment of the forthcoming patch is critical. Additionally, educating users about the risks of executing untrusted code locally can reduce the likelihood of initial compromise.