SYSTEM code execution via link-following file deletion
Published Apr 15, 2025 · Updated Apr 17, 2025
Local privilege escalation in Rockwell Automation ThinManager 14.0.0 and 14.0.1 allows local users to execute code as SYSTEM. During ThinServer startup, its elevated service follows attacker-created symbolic links while deleting temporary files, enabling arbitrary file deletion and unsafe permission inheritance. Low-privileged code execution on the Windows host is required; successful exploitation permits arbitrary code execution with SYSTEM privileges.
Summary
What happened
Local privilege escalation in Rockwell Automation ThinManager 14.0.0 and 14.0.1 allows local users to execute code as SYSTEM. During ThinServer startup, its elevated service follows attacker-created symbolic links while deleting temporary files, enabling arbitrary file deletion and unsafe permission inheritance. Low-privileged code execution on the Windows host is required; successful exploitation permits arbitrary code execution with SYSTEM privileges.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-3617
- Published
- Apr 15, 2025
- Updated
- Apr 17, 2025
- Vendor
- Rockwell Automation
- Product
- ThinManager
- Classifications
- CWE-276, T1068
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Apr 15, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Apr 17, 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.
- Affected versionversion=14.0.0 & 14.0.1
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.
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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