CVE-2025-32438

Local root code execution via writable shutdown ramfs

Published Apr 15, 2025 · Updated Apr 15, 2025

Privilege escalation in Nixpkgs for NixOS 22.05 through 24.11 allows local users to execute attacker-controlled programs as root during shutdown. The shutdown-ramfs setup leaves /run/initramfs and copied binaries writable, so systemd pivots into attacker-modified content and executes /shutdown with full privileges. The default-enabled systemd.shutdownRamfs setting and local filesystem access are required; execution occurs when the system powers off, halts, reboots, or kexecs.

CVSS severity8.8
High
EPSS probability0.19%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Privilege escalation in Nixpkgs for NixOS 22.05 through 24.11 allows local users to execute attacker-controlled programs as root during shutdown. The shutdown-ramfs setup leaves /run/initramfs and copied binaries writable, so systemd pivots into attacker-modified content and executes /shutdown with full privileges. The default-enabled systemd.shutdownRamfs setting and local filesystem access are required; execution occurs when the system powers off, halts, reboots, or kexecs.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-32438
Published
Apr 15, 2025
Updated
Apr 15, 2025
Vendor
NixOS
Product
Nixpkgs
Classifications
CWE-379, CWE-378, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Apr 15, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Apr 15, 2025Record 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.

  1. Affected versionversion=< b17590193d8e5697000c23c66afcf11e1753734d
  2. Affected versionversion=< fbf76bf72b161b9f4ab97704a8258776d5f3ffba

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

NixOS · Nixpkgsversion=< b17590193d8e5697000c23c66afcf11e1753734d; version=< fbf76bf72b161b9f4ab97704a8258776d5f3ffba

Published CVSS scores

8.8GitHub, Inc.CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/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.

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-379Creation of Temporary File in Directory with Insecure Permissions
CWE-378Creation of Temporary File With Insecure Permissions
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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