CVE-2025-43079

Root command execution via uninstall script PATH hijacking

Published Nov 10, 2025 · Updated Nov 10, 2025

Untrusted search path handling in Qualys Cloud Agent allows local users to execute commands as root during privileged uninstallation. The qagent_uninstall.sh script invokes rm, launchctl, pkginfo, and other utilities by bare name without resetting PATH, so the shell can select attacker-controlled executables. Exploitation requires local access, existing sudo or root rights, control of PATH in the same console session, and direct script execution; Cloud UI uninstallation sanitizes PATH.

CVSS severity6.3
Medium
EPSS probability0.16%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Untrusted search path handling in Qualys Cloud Agent allows local users to execute commands as root during privileged uninstallation. The qagent_uninstall.sh script invokes rm, launchctl, pkginfo, and other utilities by bare name without resetting PATH, so the shell can select attacker-controlled executables. Exploitation requires local access, existing sudo or root rights, control of PATH in the same console session, and direct script execution; Cloud UI uninstallation sanitizes PATH.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-43079
Published
Nov 10, 2025
Updated
Nov 10, 2025
Vendor
Qualys
Product
Qualys Cloud Agent
Classifications
CWE-426, CAPEC-38, T1574.007
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Nov 10, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Nov 10, 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=3.11 <7.1.0
  2. Affected versionversion=3.12 <7.1.0
  3. Affected versionversion=4.17 <6.0.0
  4. Affected versionversion=5.0 <6.2.1
  5. Affected versionversion=5.0 <6.3.1
  6. Affected versionversion=5.0 <7.2.3

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

Qualys · Qualys Cloud Agentversion=3.11 <7.1.0; version=3.12 <7.1.0; version=4.17 <6.0.0; version=5.0 <6.2.1; version=5.0 <6.3.1; version=5.0 <7.2.3

Published CVSS scores

7.8Researcher assessment published by QualysCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
6.3QualysCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:R/S:U/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
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-426Untrusted Search Path
CAPEC-38Leveraging/Manipulating Configuration File Search Paths
T1574.007Path Interception by PATH Environment Variable

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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