CVE-2025-26169Public exploit

SYSTEM code execution via temporary-file race

Published May 7, 2025 · Updated May 7, 2025

Local privilege escalation in IXON VPN Client before 1.4.4 on Windows allows local users to execute code as SYSTEM. The SYSTEM service writes a predictably named OpenVPN configuration into C:\Windows\Temp, where a low-privileged user can repeatedly replace it before the privileged OpenVPN process consumes it. Exploitation requires winning this race while a VPN connection is being established, after which attacker-supplied OpenVPN script directives run with SYSTEM privileges.

CVSS severity8.1
High
EPSS probability0.22%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Local privilege escalation in IXON VPN Client before 1.4.4 on Windows allows local users to execute code as SYSTEM. The SYSTEM service writes a predictably named OpenVPN configuration into C:\Windows\Temp, where a low-privileged user can repeatedly replace it before the privileged OpenVPN process consumes it. Exploitation requires winning this race while a VPN connection is being established, after which attacker-supplied OpenVPN script directives run with SYSTEM privileges.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-26169
Published
May 7, 2025
Updated
May 7, 2025
Vendor
IXON
Product
IXON VPN Client
Classifications
CWE-732, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 7, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. May 7, 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 <1.4.4

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

IXON · IXON VPN Clientversion=0 <1.4.4

Published CVSS scores

8.1MITRECVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/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-732Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource
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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