CVE-2025-5028

Local privilege escalation via installer redirects

Published Jul 11, 2025 · Updated Jul 11, 2025

Arbitrary file deletion in ESET security product installers for Windows allows local users to delete protected files during installation. The installer removes files through attacker-established redirects from a pre-created target installation directory without enforcing the caller's file permissions. Low-privileged code and active installer execution are required; an installed and running product is not exposed, while successful deletion enables privilege escalation.

CVSS severity6.8
Medium
EPSS probability0.13%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Arbitrary file deletion in ESET security product installers for Windows allows local users to delete protected files during installation. The installer removes files through attacker-established redirects from a pre-created target installation directory without enforcing the caller's file permissions. Low-privileged code and active installer execution are required; an installed and running product is not exposed, while successful deletion enables privilege escalation.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-5028
Published
Jul 11, 2025
Updated
Jul 11, 2025
Vendor
ESET
Product
ESET Smart Security Premium
Classifications
T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jul 11, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Jul 11, 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 <=18.1.13.0

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

ESET · ESET Smart Security Premiumversion=0 <=18.1.13.0
ESET · ESET Endpoint Antivirus for Windowsversion=0 <=11.1.2059.0; version=0 <=12.0.2049.0
ESET · ESET Safe Serverversion=0 <=18.1.13.0
ESET · ESET Endpoint Security for Windowsversion=0 <=11.1.2059.0; version=0 <=12.0.2049.0
ESET · ESET Small Business Securityversion=0 <=18.1.13.0
ESET · ESET NOD32 Antivirusversion=0 <=18.1.13.0
ESET · ESET Internet Securityversion=0 <=18.1.13.0
ESET · ESET Security Ultimateversion=0 <=18.1.13.0

Published CVSS scores

6.8ESETCVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:A/VC:H/VI:H/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

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 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

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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