Symantec Endpoint Protection: Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition
CVE-2025-3599 is a high-severity time-of-check time-of-use (TOCTOU) race condition vulnerability in Symantec Endpoint Protection from Symantec, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.5 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an unauthenticated attacker, without any action from a user. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.29% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Update Symantec Eraser Engine to 119.1.7.8 or a later version.
- Read the advisory on support.broadcom.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
- Until you can update, restrict network access to the affected service so it is not reachable from untrusted networks.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Symantec | Symantec Endpoint Protection | Not specified in the record | Not stated |
| Broadcom | Symantec Eraser Engine | before 119.1.7.8 | 119.1.7.8 |
Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Attack vector
- NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
- Attack complexity
- LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
- Privileges required
- NoneNo account or login is needed.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
- Confidentiality
- NoneNo data is disclosed.
- Integrity
- HighData or code can be modified at will.
- Availability
- NoneAvailability is not affected.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N. Scored by NVD.
| Scoring system | Score | Severity | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 3.1 | 6.5 | Medium | CNA (symantec.com) |
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.5 | High | NVD |
Official description
Symantec Endpoint Protection Windows Agent, running an ERASER Engine prior to 119.1.7.8, may be susceptible to an Elevation of Privilege vulnerability, which may allow an attacker to delete resources that are normally protected from an application or user.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition
The product checks the state of a resource before using that resource, but the resource's state can change between the check and the use in a way that invalidates the results of the check.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- The most basic advice for TOCTOU vulnerabilities is to not perform a check before the use. This does not resolve the underlying issue of the execution of a function on a resource whose state and identity cannot be assured, but it does help to limit the false sense of security given by the check.
- When the file being altered is owned by the current user and group, set the effective gid and uid to that of the current user and group when executing this statement.
- Limit the interleaving of operations on files from multiple processes.
More Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition vulnerabilities (CWE-367)
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: partial).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Recent Time-of-check Time-of-use (TOCTOU) Race Condition vulnerabilities
- 7.0 High severity
- 7.0 High severity
- 7.0 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.0 High severity
- 7.0 High severity
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