SYSTEM code execution via unsecured OpenSSL configuration
Published Jul 23, 2025 · Updated Oct 14, 2025
Privilege escalation in AWS Client VPN 4.1.0 and 5.0.0 through 5.2.1 on Windows allows local users to execute code as SYSTEM. The installer loads an OpenSSL configuration file from C:\usr\local\windows-x86_64-openssl-localbuild\ssl, where non-admin users can plant executable configuration. Exploitation requires an administrator to start the client installation after the file is planted; Linux and macOS clients are unaffected.
Summary
What happened
Privilege escalation in AWS Client VPN 4.1.0 and 5.0.0 through 5.2.1 on Windows allows local users to execute code as SYSTEM. The installer loads an OpenSSL configuration file from C:\usr\local\windows-x86_64-openssl-localbuild\ssl, where non-admin users can plant executable configuration. Exploitation requires an administrator to start the client installation after the file is planted; Linux and macOS clients are unaffected.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-8069
- Published
- Jul 23, 2025
- Updated
- Oct 14, 2025
- Vendor
- Amazon Web Services
- Product
- AWS Client VPN
- Classifications
- CWE-276, T1574.008
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jul 23, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- 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.
- Affected versionversion=4.1.0
- Affected versionversion=5.0.0 <5.2.2
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
No public exploit references are available in this record.
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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