Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory
CVE-2025-6020 is a high-severity improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory vulnerability in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 from Red Hat, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8 out of 10. It can be exploited with local access to the system by an attacker with a low-privileged account, without any action from a user. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.49% 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 RUGGEDCOM ROX MX5000 to V2.17.1 or a later version.
- Update RUGGEDCOM ROX MX5000RE to V2.17.1 or a later version.
- Update RUGGEDCOM ROX RX1400 to V2.17.1 or a later version.
- Read the advisory on github.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
Affected products and versions
Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE; 11 further products are omitted here. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Attack vector
- LocalThe attacker needs local access or must trick a user into running something.
- Attack complexity
- LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
- Privileges required
- LowA basic user account is enough.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
- Confidentiality
- HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
- Integrity
- HighData or code can be modified at will.
- Availability
- HighThe component can be taken down completely.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by CNA (redhat.com).
Official description
A flaw was found in linux-pam. The module pam_namespace may use access user-controlled paths without proper protection, allowing local users to elevate their privileges to root via multiple symlink attacks and race conditions.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory
The product uses external input to construct a pathname that is intended to identify a file or directory that is located underneath a restricted parent directory, but the product does not properly neutralize special elements within the pathname that can cause the pathname to resolve to a location that is outside of the restricted directory.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- For any security checks that are performed on the client side, ensure that these checks are duplicated on the server side, in order to avoid CWE-602. Attackers can bypass the client-side checks by modifying values after the checks have been performed, or by changing the client to remove the client-side checks entirely. Then, these modified values would be submitted to the server.
- Use a vetted library or framework that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid.
- Use an application firewall that can detect attacks against this weakness. It can be beneficial in cases in which the code cannot be fixed (because it is controlled by a third party), as an emergency prevention measure while more comprehensive software assurance measures are applied, or to provide defense in depth.
More Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory vulnerabilities (CWE-22)
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Other references
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2025:10024
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2025:10027
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2025:10180
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2025:10354
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2025:10357
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2025:10358
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2025:10359
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2025:10361
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2025:10362
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2025:10735
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2025:10823
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2025:11386
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2025:11487
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2025:14557
- access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2025:15099
Other vulnerabilities in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
- 8.8 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.9 High severity
- 7.3 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
Recent Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory vulnerabilities
- 8.6 High severity
- 8.6 High severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
- 9.8 Critical severity
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