SYSTEM code execution via unquoted service path
Published Sep 23, 2025 · Updated Sep 23, 2025
Privilege escalation in LizardByte Sunshine before 2025.923.33222 allows local users to execute arbitrary code as SYSTEM on Windows. SunshineService stores the sunshinesvc.exe path without quotes, so SCM probes earlier path segments and launches an attacker-written executable. Exploitation requires a spaced install path and write access to a preceding directory; the default path is generally protected.
Summary
What happened
Privilege escalation in LizardByte Sunshine before 2025.923.33222 allows local users to execute arbitrary code as SYSTEM on Windows. SunshineService stores the sunshinesvc.exe path without quotes, so SCM probes earlier path segments and launches an attacker-written executable. Exploitation requires a spaced install path and write access to a preceding directory; the default path is generally protected.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-54081
- Published
- Sep 23, 2025
- Updated
- Sep 23, 2025
- Vendor
- LizardByte
- Product
- Sunshine
- Classifications
- CWE-428, T1574.009
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Sep 23, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Sep 23, 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.
- Affected versionversion=< 2025.923.33222
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- SunshineService unquoted-path proof of conceptproof of concept · demonstrated
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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