CVE-2025-8421 is an identified vulnerability in Lenovo Dock Manager characterized by improper default permissions (CWE-276) set during the software installation process. Specifically, under certain installation conditions, the permissions assigned to log files or their directories are overly permissive, allowing an authenticated local user with limited privileges to redirect or manipulate these log files. This redirection can be exploited to execute actions with elevated privileges, effectively enabling a local privilege escalation attack. The vulnerability requires the attacker to have local access and perform some user interaction, but does not require additional authentication beyond being a local user. The CVSS 4.0 score of 5.2 reflects a medium severity, with attack vector local (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), no attack type (AT:N), privileges required (PR:L), user interaction required (UI:P), and high impact on integrity and availability (VI:H, VA:H), but no impact on confidentiality (VC:N). No public exploits have been reported yet, and no patches are currently linked, indicating that mitigation may rely on manual permission audits or vendor updates in the near future. The vulnerability affects all versions listed as '0', which likely indicates all current versions at the time of reporting. The core risk lies in the ability of a local user to manipulate system logs or related files to gain elevated privileges, potentially compromising system integrity and availability.

For European organizations, the vulnerability presents a risk primarily in environments where Lenovo Dock Manager is deployed, which is common in enterprises using Lenovo docking stations and related hardware. The ability for a local user to escalate privileges can lead to unauthorized changes in system configurations, tampering with audit logs, and potentially further compromise of critical systems. This could affect IT departments, managed service providers, and organizations with shared workstation environments. The impact on confidentiality is minimal, but integrity and availability of system logs and related processes could be significantly affected, undermining incident response and forensic investigations. Organizations in sectors such as finance, government, healthcare, and critical infrastructure in Europe could face increased risk if attackers leverage this vulnerability to gain elevated access. The requirement for local access limits remote exploitation, but insider threats or compromised local accounts remain a concern.

1. Monitor Lenovo’s official channels for patches addressing CVE-2025-8421 and apply them promptly once available. 2. Until patches are released, perform a thorough audit of file and directory permissions related to Lenovo Dock Manager log files and adjust them to restrict write and redirect permissions to trusted system accounts only. 3. Limit local user privileges on systems running Lenovo Dock Manager, enforcing the principle of least privilege to reduce the risk of exploitation. 4. Implement strict access controls and monitoring on endpoints with Lenovo Dock Manager installed to detect unusual file redirection or privilege escalation attempts. 5. Educate local users about the risks of interacting with system files and encourage reporting of suspicious behavior. 6. Consider deploying endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions capable of identifying privilege escalation patterns and unauthorized file manipulations. 7. Regularly review and harden workstation configurations, especially in shared or multi-user environments.