CVE-2025-52638

Root-level container execution via privileged runtime identity

Published Mar 16, 2026 · Updated Mar 16, 2026

Improper privilege management in HCL AION 2.0 allows local users to run binaries as root inside generated containers. AION's generated-container configuration assigns root-level execution privileges to container binaries instead of enforcing a non-root runtime identity. Exploitation requires high privileges and user interaction, and the documented consequence is elevated integrity and availability impact inside the container.

CVSS severity5.6
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

Improper privilege management in HCL AION 2.0 allows local users to run binaries as root inside generated containers. AION's generated-container configuration assigns root-level execution privileges to container binaries instead of enforcing a non-root runtime identity. Exploitation requires high privileges and user interaction, and the documented consequence is elevated integrity and availability impact inside the container.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-52638
Published
Mar 16, 2026
Updated
Mar 16, 2026
Vendor
HCL Software
Product
HCL AION
Classifications
CWE-345, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Mar 16, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Mar 16, 2026Record 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=2.0

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

HCL Software · HCL AIONversion=2.0

Published CVSS scores

5.6HCL SoftwareCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H
7.2NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/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-345Insufficient Verification of Data Authenticity
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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