CVE-2025-36631

SYSTEM file overwrite via preinstallation symlink abuse

Published Jun 13, 2025 · Updated Jun 13, 2025

Improper privilege management in Tenable Agent before 10.8.5 allows local users to overwrite Windows system files with log content. The Windows installer follows attacker-created symbolic links placed before installation and writes Agent log data through them with SYSTEM privileges. A non-administrative local account must prepare the link before installation; the result is an arbitrary privileged file write, not direct code execution.

CVSS severity8.4
High
EPSS probability0.17%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Improper privilege management in Tenable Agent before 10.8.5 allows local users to overwrite Windows system files with log content. The Windows installer follows attacker-created symbolic links placed before installation and writes Agent log data through them with SYSTEM privileges. A non-administrative local account must prepare the link before installation; the result is an arbitrary privileged file write, not direct code execution.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-36631
Published
Jun 13, 2025
Updated
Jun 13, 2025
Vendor
Tenable
Product
Tenable Agent
Classifications
CWE-269
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jun 13, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Jun 13, 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 <10.8.5

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

Tenable · Tenable Agentversion=0 <10.8.5

Published CVSS scores

7.8NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
8.4Tenable Network Security, Inc.CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:H
7.6Tenable Network Security, Inc.CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:H/E:P/RL:O/RC:C

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-269Improper Privilege Management

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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