CVE-2024-52561Public exploit

Root privilege escalation via symlink-following ownership change

Published Jun 3, 2025 · Updated Jun 3, 2025

Incorrect ownership assignment in Parallels Desktop for Mac 20.1.1 (55740) allows local users to gain root privileges through snapshot deletion. The root-privileged prl_disp_service follows a user-controlled Snapshots directory symlink and recursively assigns ownership of the linked root-owned files to that user. A low-privileged macOS account with a virtual machine and snapshot can then modify or delete the reassigned files and influence root services.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.28%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Incorrect ownership assignment in Parallels Desktop for Mac 20.1.1 (55740) allows local users to gain root privileges through snapshot deletion. The root-privileged prl_disp_service follows a user-controlled Snapshots directory symlink and recursively assigns ownership of the linked root-owned files to that user. A low-privileged macOS account with a virtual machine and snapshot can then modify or delete the reassigned files and influence root services.

The record

CVE
CVE-2024-52561
Published
Jun 3, 2025
Updated
Jun 3, 2025
Vendor
Parallels
Product
Parallels Desktop
Classifications
CWE-59, CWE-708, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jun 3, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Jun 3, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=version 20.1.1 (55740)

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Parallels · Parallels Desktopversion=version 20.1.1 (55740)

Published CVSS scores

7.8Cisco TalosCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-59Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following')
CWE-708Incorrect Ownership Assignment
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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