CVE-2025-14614

Privilege escalation via predictable SFX temporary files

Published Jan 6, 2026 · Updated Jan 6, 2026

Insecure temporary-file handling in Altera Quartus Prime SFX installers 23.1 through 24.1 on Windows allows local users to gain privileges. The Standard and Lite self-extracting installers use predictable temporary-file handling that permits binary planting before installer execution continues. Exploitation requires a local low-privileged user to prepare the planted binary and another user to run the affected SFX installer, after which attacker-controlled code executes with the installer's privileges.

CVSS severity6.7
Medium
EPSS probability0.11%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Insecure temporary-file handling in Altera Quartus Prime SFX installers 23.1 through 24.1 on Windows allows local users to gain privileges. The Standard and Lite self-extracting installers use predictable temporary-file handling that permits binary planting before installer execution continues. Exploitation requires a local low-privileged user to prepare the planted binary and another user to run the affected SFX installer, after which attacker-controlled code executes with the installer's privileges.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-14614
Published
Jan 6, 2026
Updated
Jan 6, 2026
Vendor
Altera
Product
Quartus Prime Standard Edition
Classifications
CWE-377, CAPEC-149, T1574
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jan 6, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Jan 6, 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.

  1. Affected versionversion=23.1 <=24.1

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Altera · Quartus Prime Standard Editionversion=23.1 <=24.1
Altera · Quartus Prime Lite Editionversion=23.1 <=24.1

Published CVSS scores

5.4AlteraCVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:H/AT:P/PR:L/UI:A/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
6.7AlteraCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:R/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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

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 exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-377Insecure Temporary File
CAPEC-149Explore for Predictable Temporary File Names
T1574Hijack Execution Flow

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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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