Secure Boot bypass via stale GPG hooks
Published Feb 18, 2025 · Updated Jun 29, 2026
Use-after-free in GNU GRUB 2.12 and earlier allows local users with high privileges to execute code and bypass Secure Boot. The command/gpg module leaves check_signatures variable hooks registered after unload, so later hook invocation dereferences freed module code. Exploitation requires high local privileges and precise module-lifecycle control; successful code execution occurs in the pre-OS boot environment.
Summary
What happened
Use-after-free in GNU GRUB 2.12 and earlier allows local users with high privileges to execute code and bypass Secure Boot. The command/gpg module leaves check_signatures variable hooks registered after unload, so later hook invocation dereferences freed module code. Exploitation requires high local privileges and precise module-lifecycle control; successful code execution occurs in the pre-OS boot environment.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-0622
- Published
- Feb 18, 2025
- Updated
- Jun 29, 2026
- Vendor
- The GnuPG Project
- Product
- GNU GRUB
- Classifications
- CWE-416, T1037
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- admin
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Feb 18, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Jun 29, 2026Record 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.
- Affected versionversion=0 <=2.12
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
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Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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