CVE-2025-8774 is a vulnerability identified in the riscv-boom SonicBOOM processor core, specifically affecting versions 2.2.0 through 2.2.3. The issue resides in an unspecified functionality within the L1 Data Cache Handler component, where manipulation can lead to an observable timing discrepancy. This type of vulnerability is typically categorized as a side-channel timing attack vector, where an attacker can infer sensitive information by measuring the time taken to perform certain operations. The attack requires local access to the system, meaning the attacker must have some level of privilege or physical/logical access to the affected device. The complexity of exploitation is high, indicating that it demands significant expertise and effort to successfully leverage the vulnerability. Additionally, the vendor has not responded to disclosure attempts, and no patches or mitigations have been released at this time. The CVSS 4.0 base score is 2.0, reflecting a low severity rating due to the high attack complexity, local access requirement, and limited impact scope. The vulnerability does not require user interaction, and it primarily affects confidentiality through a low-impact timing side channel without affecting integrity or availability. No known exploits are currently in the wild, and the vulnerability is classified as problematic but not critical.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-8774 is currently limited due to the low severity and the requirement for local access and high attack complexity. However, organizations utilizing riscv-boom SonicBOOM cores in their hardware or embedded systems could face confidentiality risks if an attacker gains local access, potentially exposing sensitive data through timing analysis. This is particularly relevant for sectors with high-security requirements such as defense, critical infrastructure, and advanced research institutions that may use RISC-V based custom hardware. The absence of vendor response and patches increases the risk of future exploitation if attackers develop more effective techniques. Additionally, the timing discrepancy could be leveraged in multi-tenant environments or shared hardware scenarios, raising concerns for cloud providers or data centers employing RISC-V architectures. Overall, while immediate widespread impact is unlikely, targeted attacks against high-value assets using affected versions could pose a threat to confidentiality within European organizations.

Given the lack of vendor patches, European organizations should implement the following specific mitigations: 1) Restrict and monitor local access to devices running riscv-boom SonicBOOM cores, enforcing strict physical and logical access controls to prevent unauthorized local exploitation. 2) Employ hardware and software-based side-channel attack mitigations such as constant-time algorithms and cache partitioning or flushing techniques to reduce timing leakage. 3) Conduct thorough security audits and penetration testing focusing on timing side channels in affected systems to identify and remediate exploitable vectors. 4) Isolate critical workloads from untrusted users or processes to minimize risk in multi-tenant environments. 5) Maintain up-to-date inventory of hardware using riscv-boom SonicBOOM and track vendor communications for any future patches or advisories. 6) Consider deploying runtime monitoring tools capable of detecting anomalous timing behavior or suspicious local activity indicative of exploitation attempts. 7) Engage with the RISC-V community and security researchers to share information and collaborate on mitigation strategies.