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VulnerabilityPublished

CVE-2024-52561: Parallels Desktop for Mac · Incorrect Ownership Assignment

Affects Parallels Desktop for MacSource CVE Database V5

0

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.8 High.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 17:16 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score
7.8High
How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.
EPSS
0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 20% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Exploitation evidence

  1. Disclosed: evidence found.

    CVE published 3 Jun 2025

  2. Detectable: no evidence on record.

    No public nuclei template indexed

  3. Weaponised: no evidence on record.

    No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB

  4. Exploited in the wild: no evidence on record.

    Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation

  5. Observed by OffSeq Mirage: no evidence on record.

    No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.

What to do

AI-suggested

2) Until a patch is available, restrict access to Mac hosts running the vulnerable Parallels Desktop version to trusted users only, minimizing the risk of local exploitation. 3) Implement strict file system permissions and monitor for suspicious symlink creation or unusual file ownership changes related to Parallels snapshot files. 4) Employ endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions capable of detecting privilege escalation attempts and anomalous system modifications on Mac hosts. 5) Educate users about the risks of local privilege escalation and enforce least privilege principles to reduce the number of users with local access. 6) Regularly audit and monitor logs for any signs of exploitation attempts involving snapshot deletion or ownership changes. These targeted measures go beyond generic advice by focusing on controlling local access, monitoring specific filesystem behaviors, and preparing for rapid patch deployment.

Description

A privilege escalation vulnerability exists in the Snapshot functionality of Parallels Desktop for Mac version 20.1.1 (build 55740). When a snapshot of a virtual machine is deleted, a root service verifies and modifies the ownership of the snapshot files. By using a symlink, an attacker can change the ownership of files owned by root to a lower-privilege user, potentially leading to privilege escalation.

References

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