CVE-2025-46415Public exploit

Arbitrary file deletion via recursive path race

Published Jun 27, 2025 · Updated Jun 27, 2025

TOCTOU race in NixOS Nix before 2.24.15, 2.26.4, 2.28.4, and 2.29.1 allows local users to delete content from arbitrary folders. The recursive _deletePath function passes absolute child paths to openat while anchoring unlinkat calls to directory descriptors, so a swapped path redirects deletion outside the intended tree. Exploitation requires building an untrusted derivation and winning a filesystem race; deletion of privileged content can support a broader root-escalation chain.

CVSS severity3.2
Low
EPSS probability0.12%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

TOCTOU race in NixOS Nix before 2.24.15, 2.26.4, 2.28.4, and 2.29.1 allows local users to delete content from arbitrary folders. The recursive _deletePath function passes absolute child paths to openat while anchoring unlinkat calls to directory descriptors, so a swapped path redirects deletion outside the intended tree. Exploitation requires building an untrusted derivation and winning a filesystem race; deletion of privileged content can support a broader root-escalation chain.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-46415
Published
Jun 27, 2025
Updated
Jun 27, 2025
Vendor
NixOS
Product
Nix
Classifications
CWE-367, T1485
Attack vector
local
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jun 27, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Jun 27, 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 <2.24.15
  2. Affected versionversion=2.25.0 <2.26.4
  3. Affected versionversion=2.27.0 <2.28.4
  4. Affected versionversion=2.29.0 <2.29.1

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

NixOS · Nixversion=0 <2.24.15; version=2.25.0 <2.26.4; version=2.27.0 <2.28.4; version=2.29.0 <2.29.1

Published CVSS scores

3.2MITRE CorporationCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:N/A:L

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
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-367Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition
T1485Data Destruction

Public exploit references

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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