Local privilege escalation via unsafe default permissions
Published Apr 8, 2025 · Updated Aug 10, 2026
Incorrect default permissions in Microsoft AutoUpdate for Mac before 4.78 allow local users to elevate privileges on macOS. Microsoft has not disclosed which file or service has unsafe default permissions or which privileged operation becomes attacker-controlled. Exploitation requires existing local access, and successful abuse grants higher privileges with the ability to read, alter, or interrupt resources accessible to that security context.
Summary
What happened
Incorrect default permissions in Microsoft AutoUpdate for Mac before 4.78 allow local users to elevate privileges on macOS. Microsoft has not disclosed which file or service has unsafe default permissions or which privileged operation becomes attacker-controlled. Exploitation requires existing local access, and successful abuse grants higher privileges with the ability to read, alter, or interrupt resources accessible to that security context.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-29801
- Published
- Apr 8, 2025
- Updated
- Aug 10, 2026
- Vendor
- Microsoft
- Product
- Microsoft AutoUpdate for Mac
- Classifications
- CWE-276
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Apr 8, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Aug 10, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.
Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=4.0.0 <4.78
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
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Weakness, pattern, technique
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
See the directory against your own environment.
Your stack
Check the software in your environment
Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.
Book a demo