CVE-2025-0509

Unverified update installation via mutable verified archive

Published Feb 4, 2025 · Updated Feb 17, 2025

Archive verification bypass in Sparkle before 2.6.4 allows attackers to install a substituted update payload on macOS. The updater keeps the verified input archive in its writable extraction directory, allowing replacement after signature validation and before extraction completes. Exploitation requires high privileges and access to the update workflow, and the substituted payload executes when the host application installs the update.

CVSS severity7.3
High
EPSS probability0.90%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Archive verification bypass in Sparkle before 2.6.4 allows attackers to install a substituted update payload on macOS. The updater keeps the verified input archive in its writable extraction directory, allowing replacement after signature validation and before extraction completes. Exploitation requires high privileges and access to the update workflow, and the substituted payload executes when the host application installs the update.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-0509
Published
Feb 4, 2025
Updated
Feb 17, 2025
Vendor
Sparkle Project
Product
Sparkle
Classifications
CWE-552, T1553
Attack vector
adjacent
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Feb 4, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Feb 17, 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=0 <2.6.4

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectoradjacent
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

Sparkle Project · Sparkleversion=0 <2.6.4

Published CVSS scores

7.3Fedora ProjectCVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:H/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
6.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:H/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)
Vectoradjacent
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-552Files or Directories Accessible to External Parties
T1553Subvert Trust Controls

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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