CVE-2025-59292 is a vulnerability identified in Microsoft Azure Compute Gallery, specifically affecting Confidential Azure Container Instances. The issue stems from external control over file names or paths (CWE-73), which can be exploited by an authorized attacker with high privileges to elevate their privileges locally. This means that an attacker who already has some level of access to the system can manipulate file or directory names to gain higher-level permissions, potentially compromising the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected environment. The vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.2, reflecting its high severity. The attack vector is local (AV:L), requiring low attack complexity (AC:L) but high privileges (PR:H), and no user interaction (UI:N). The scope is changed (S:C), indicating that the vulnerability affects resources beyond the initially vulnerable component. The impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability is high (C:H/I:H/A:H). Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the vulnerability poses a significant risk due to the potential for privilege escalation within cloud container environments. Azure Compute Gallery is widely used for managing VM images and container instances in Azure, and Confidential Azure Container Instances provide isolated environments for sensitive workloads. This vulnerability could allow attackers to bypass isolation controls and gain unauthorized access to sensitive data or system functions. The lack of available patches at the time of publication necessitates immediate attention to access controls and monitoring.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-59292 is substantial, especially for those relying on Azure Compute Gallery and Confidential Azure Container Instances for critical workloads. Privilege escalation can lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data, disruption of services, and potential lateral movement within cloud environments. This can compromise data confidentiality and integrity, disrupt business operations, and lead to regulatory non-compliance, particularly under GDPR. Organizations in sectors such as finance, healthcare, and government, which often use confidential computing for sensitive data processing, are at heightened risk. The vulnerability could also undermine trust in cloud services and result in financial and reputational damage. Since exploitation requires local access with high privileges, insider threats or compromised credentials could be leveraged to exploit this vulnerability, increasing the risk profile for organizations with complex cloud deployments.

1. Monitor Microsoft security advisories closely and apply patches or updates for Azure Compute Gallery and Confidential Azure Container Instances as soon as they become available. 2. Restrict and tightly control access to Azure Container Instances, ensuring that only necessary personnel have high privilege access. 3. Implement robust identity and access management (IAM) policies, including multi-factor authentication and least privilege principles, to reduce the risk of credential compromise. 4. Continuously monitor logs and audit trails for unusual file path or name manipulations within container instances. 5. Employ runtime security tools that can detect and prevent unauthorized file system changes or privilege escalations in containerized environments. 6. Conduct regular security assessments and penetration testing focused on container security and privilege escalation vectors. 7. Consider network segmentation and isolation strategies to limit the impact of a potential compromise within cloud environments. 8. Educate cloud administrators and DevOps teams about this vulnerability and best practices for secure container management.