CVE-2025-11462: CWE-59 Improper Link Resolution Before File Access ('Link Following') in AWS Client VPN
Description
Bulletin ID: AWS-2025-020 Scope: AWS Content Type: Important (requires attention) Publication Date: 2025/10/07 01:30 PM PDT Description: AWS Client VPN is a managed client-based VPN service that enables secure access to AWS and on-premises resources. The AWS Client VPN client software runs on end-user devices, supporting Windows, macOS, and Linux and provides the ability for end users to establish a secure tunnel to the AWS Client VPN Service. We have identified CVE-2025-11462, an issue in AWS Client VPN. The macOS version of the AWS VPN Client lacked proper validation checks on the log destination directory during log rotation. This allowed a non-administrator user to create a symlink from a client log file to a privileged location (e.g., Crontab). Triggering an internal API with arbitrary inputs would then write these inputs to the privileged location on log rotation, allowing execution with root privileges. This issue does not affect Windows or Linux devices. Affected versions: AWS Client VPN Client versions 1.3.2 through 5.2.0
CVSS v4.0
Score 9.3critical
Affected software
AWS
Client VPN
Weaknesses
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
This vulnerability (CVE-2025-11462) in AWS Client VPN for macOS involves CWE-59 (Improper Link Resolution Before File Access). During log rotation, the software improperly resolves symbolic links, permitting a local non-privileged user to create a symlink from a client log file to a privileged system location. If an attacker crafts API calls that inject malicious code into the log file, this can lead to arbitrary code execution with root privileges. The vulnerability affects versions 1.3.2 through 5.2.0 and has a CVSS 4.0 base score of 9.3, indicating critical severity. AWS recommends upgrading to version 5.2.1 or later to remediate this issue.
Potential Impact
Exploitation of this vulnerability allows a local non-administrator user to escalate privileges to root by leveraging symbolic link manipulation during log rotation and injecting malicious code into log files. This can result in arbitrary code execution with the highest system privileges, posing a critical security risk on affected macOS clients running AWS Client VPN versions 1.3.2 through 5.2.0.
Mitigation Recommendations
AWS has released an official fix in AWS Client VPN version 5.2.1. Users should upgrade to version 5.2.1 or later to remediate this vulnerability. No additional mitigations are indicated by the vendor advisory.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.1
- Assigner Short Name
- AMZN
- Date Reserved
- 2025-10-07T19:19:54.057Z
- Cvss Version
- 4.0
- State
- PUBLISHED
Threat ID: 68e57159a677756fc9a082f7
Added to database: 10/07/2025, 20:00:25 UTC
Last enriched: 06/05/2026, 19:29:00 UTC
Last updated: 10/04/2026, 10:02:22 UTC
Views: 391
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