CVE-2025-23394

Local root escalation via symlink-following backup operations

Published May 26, 2025 · Updated May 27, 2025

Symlink following in SUSE openSUSE Tumbleweed cyrus-imapd before 3.8.4-2.1 allows local users to gain root privileges. The root-run daily-backup.sh script performs chown and chmod operations inside the cyrus-owned /var/lib/imap directory and follows attacker-staged symlinks. Control of the cyrus service account is required, and successful exploitation bypasses that account's isolation to modify files as root.

CVSS severity9.8
Critical
EPSS probability0.57%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Symlink following in SUSE openSUSE Tumbleweed cyrus-imapd before 3.8.4-2.1 allows local users to gain root privileges. The root-run daily-backup.sh script performs chown and chmod operations inside the cyrus-owned /var/lib/imap directory and follows attacker-staged symlinks. Control of the cyrus service account is required, and successful exploitation bypasses that account's isolation to modify files as root.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-23394
Published
May 26, 2025
Updated
May 27, 2025
Vendor
NeuVector
Product
openSUSE Tumbleweed
Classifications
CWE-61, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 26, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. May 27, 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=? <3.8.4-2.1

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

NeuVector · openSUSE Tumbleweedversion=? <3.8.4-2.1

Published CVSS scores

9.8CISA-ADPCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/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.

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-61UNIX Symbolic Link (Symlink) Following
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

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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