CVE-2025-59288Public exploit

Privileged code execution via insecure browser downloads

Published Oct 14, 2025 · Updated Oct 14, 2025

Improper certificate validation in Microsoft Playwright before 1.55.1 allows man-in-the-middle attackers to execute code with system privileges. Five macOS browser-reinstallation shell scripts pass curl the -k option, accept untrusted TLS certificates, and immediately mount or install downloaded DMG or PKG files. Exploitation requires interception of network traffic while a user or automation runs one of these scripts; a substituted package executes with the installation privileges.

CVSS severity5.3
Medium
EPSS probability0.23%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Improper certificate validation in Microsoft Playwright before 1.55.1 allows man-in-the-middle attackers to execute code with system privileges. Five macOS browser-reinstallation shell scripts pass curl the -k option, accept untrusted TLS certificates, and immediately mount or install downloaded DMG or PKG files. Exploitation requires interception of network traffic while a user or automation runs one of these scripts; a substituted package executes with the installation privileges.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-59288
Published
Oct 14, 2025
Updated
Oct 14, 2025
Vendor
Microsoft
Product
Playwright
Classifications
CWE-347, T1557
Attack vector
Unavailable
Privileges
Unavailable

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Oct 14, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Oct 14, 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=1.0.0 <1.55.1

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorUnavailable in this record.
Required privilegesUnavailable in this record.

What is affected?

Microsoft · Playwrightversion=1.0.0 <1.55.1

Published CVSS scores

8.7GitHub Advisory DatabaseCVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:H/AT:P/PR:H/UI:A/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H
5.3Microsoft CorporationCVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A: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)
VectorUnavailable
PrivilegesUnavailable
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-347Improper Verification of Cryptographic Signature
T1557Adversary-in-the-Middle

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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