CVE-2025-5942 is a medium-severity heap-based buffer overflow vulnerability (CWE-122) identified in the Netskope Client agent, specifically affecting the epdlpdrv.sys driver on Windows systems. This vulnerability arises from improper handling of heap memory within the Endpoint Data Loss Prevention (DLP) component of the Netskope Client. An unprivileged local user can exploit this flaw to trigger a heap overflow, which leads to a system crash manifested as a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD). The vulnerability does not require user interaction but does require the attacker to have local low-privilege access and the Netskope Client to be configured with Endpoint DLP enabled. The exploitation results in a denial-of-service (DoS) condition on the affected machine, impacting availability but not directly compromising confidentiality or integrity. The CVSS v4.0 base score is 5.7, reflecting a medium severity level due to the limited attack vector (local access) and the requirement for low privileges, but no remote exploitation or privilege escalation. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches have been linked yet. The vulnerability was reserved in June 2025 and published in August 2025, indicating recent discovery and disclosure.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2025-5942 is a potential denial-of-service on endpoints running the Netskope Client with Endpoint DLP enabled. This can disrupt business operations by causing unexpected system crashes, leading to loss of productivity and potential interruption of security monitoring or data protection functions provided by the Netskope Client. While the vulnerability does not allow for data exfiltration or privilege escalation, the DoS effect can be leveraged by malicious insiders or attackers with local access to degrade endpoint availability. Organizations relying heavily on Netskope for endpoint security and data loss prevention may face operational risks, especially in environments where endpoint uptime is critical. Additionally, repeated crashes could lead to increased support costs and potential loss of trust in security infrastructure. The threat is more relevant for organizations with distributed Windows endpoints and Endpoint DLP enabled, common in sectors like finance, healthcare, and government within Europe.

To mitigate this vulnerability, European organizations should: 1) Monitor Netskope vendor communications closely for official patches or updates addressing CVE-2025-5942 and apply them promptly once available. 2) Temporarily disable Endpoint DLP functionality in the Netskope Client on Windows endpoints where feasible, especially on systems exposed to untrusted users or shared environments, to reduce attack surface. 3) Restrict local user permissions and enforce strict access controls to minimize the number of users with local access capable of triggering the vulnerability. 4) Implement endpoint monitoring to detect abnormal system crashes or BSOD events potentially linked to this vulnerability. 5) Educate IT and security teams about the vulnerability to ensure rapid incident response if exploitation attempts are detected. 6) Consider network segmentation and endpoint hardening to limit exposure of critical systems running the vulnerable client. These steps go beyond generic advice by focusing on configuration changes, access control, and proactive monitoring tailored to the specific nature of this heap overflow vulnerability.