CVE-2025-5199: CWE-276 Incorrect Default Permissions in Canonical Multipass
In Canonical Multipass up to and including version 1.15.1 on macOS, incorrect default permissions allow a local attacker to escalate privileges by modifying files executed with administrative privileges by a Launch Daemon during system startup.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
CVE-2025-5199 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting Canonical Multipass versions up to and including 1.15.1 on macOS. The root cause is incorrect default permissions (CWE-276) on files used by a Launch Daemon that runs with administrative privileges during system startup. This misconfiguration allows a local attacker with limited privileges to modify these files, which are executed with elevated rights, thereby enabling privilege escalation. Specifically, the attacker can replace or alter executable files or scripts that the Launch Daemon runs, causing arbitrary code execution with administrative privileges. The vulnerability requires local access and some user interaction but does not require full administrative rights initially. The CVSS 3.1 score of 7.3 reflects a high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, with low attack complexity but requiring local privileges and user interaction. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, but the vulnerability presents a significant risk due to the potential for complete system compromise on affected macOS systems running Multipass. Multipass is a tool developed by Canonical to manage lightweight virtual machines, often used by developers and IT professionals for cloud and containerized environments. The vulnerability arises from improper permission settings on critical startup files, a common security misconfiguration that can be exploited to gain unauthorized administrative control.
Potential Impact
For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a considerable risk, especially for development teams and IT departments that utilize Canonical Multipass on macOS for virtualization and cloud-native workflows. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized privilege escalation, allowing attackers to execute arbitrary code with administrative rights, potentially leading to full system compromise. This could result in data breaches, disruption of development environments, and lateral movement within corporate networks. The confidentiality of sensitive development data and intellectual property could be compromised, and integrity of systems could be undermined. Availability could also be affected if attackers deploy ransomware or destructive payloads. Given the prevalence of macOS in certain sectors such as creative industries, software development, and academia across Europe, the impact could be widespread. Additionally, organizations with strict compliance requirements (e.g., GDPR) could face regulatory consequences if this vulnerability leads to data exposure.
Mitigation Recommendations
Organizations should promptly update Canonical Multipass to a patched version once available, as no patch links are currently provided but are expected given the publication status. In the interim, administrators should audit and correct file permissions related to the Launch Daemon manually, ensuring that only trusted users have write access to these files. Implement strict local user privilege management to limit the number of users with local access rights. Employ macOS security features such as System Integrity Protection (SIP) to restrict modifications to system files and daemons. Monitoring and alerting for unauthorized changes to Launch Daemon files can help detect exploitation attempts. Additionally, restricting physical and remote access to macOS systems running Multipass reduces the attack surface. Organizations should also educate users about the risks of local privilege escalation and enforce strong endpoint security controls. Regular vulnerability scanning and configuration audits focused on file permissions and startup scripts can prevent similar issues.
Affected Countries
United Kingdom, Germany, France, Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Ireland, Belgium, Denmark
CVE-2025-5199: CWE-276 Incorrect Default Permissions in Canonical Multipass
Description
In Canonical Multipass up to and including version 1.15.1 on macOS, incorrect default permissions allow a local attacker to escalate privileges by modifying files executed with administrative privileges by a Launch Daemon during system startup.
AI-Powered Analysis
Technical Analysis
CVE-2025-5199 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting Canonical Multipass versions up to and including 1.15.1 on macOS. The root cause is incorrect default permissions (CWE-276) on files used by a Launch Daemon that runs with administrative privileges during system startup. This misconfiguration allows a local attacker with limited privileges to modify these files, which are executed with elevated rights, thereby enabling privilege escalation. Specifically, the attacker can replace or alter executable files or scripts that the Launch Daemon runs, causing arbitrary code execution with administrative privileges. The vulnerability requires local access and some user interaction but does not require full administrative rights initially. The CVSS 3.1 score of 7.3 reflects a high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, with low attack complexity but requiring local privileges and user interaction. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, but the vulnerability presents a significant risk due to the potential for complete system compromise on affected macOS systems running Multipass. Multipass is a tool developed by Canonical to manage lightweight virtual machines, often used by developers and IT professionals for cloud and containerized environments. The vulnerability arises from improper permission settings on critical startup files, a common security misconfiguration that can be exploited to gain unauthorized administrative control.
Potential Impact
For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a considerable risk, especially for development teams and IT departments that utilize Canonical Multipass on macOS for virtualization and cloud-native workflows. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized privilege escalation, allowing attackers to execute arbitrary code with administrative rights, potentially leading to full system compromise. This could result in data breaches, disruption of development environments, and lateral movement within corporate networks. The confidentiality of sensitive development data and intellectual property could be compromised, and integrity of systems could be undermined. Availability could also be affected if attackers deploy ransomware or destructive payloads. Given the prevalence of macOS in certain sectors such as creative industries, software development, and academia across Europe, the impact could be widespread. Additionally, organizations with strict compliance requirements (e.g., GDPR) could face regulatory consequences if this vulnerability leads to data exposure.
Mitigation Recommendations
Organizations should promptly update Canonical Multipass to a patched version once available, as no patch links are currently provided but are expected given the publication status. In the interim, administrators should audit and correct file permissions related to the Launch Daemon manually, ensuring that only trusted users have write access to these files. Implement strict local user privilege management to limit the number of users with local access rights. Employ macOS security features such as System Integrity Protection (SIP) to restrict modifications to system files and daemons. Monitoring and alerting for unauthorized changes to Launch Daemon files can help detect exploitation attempts. Additionally, restricting physical and remote access to macOS systems running Multipass reduces the attack surface. Organizations should also educate users about the risks of local privilege escalation and enforce strong endpoint security controls. Regular vulnerability scanning and configuration audits focused on file permissions and startup scripts can prevent similar issues.
Affected Countries
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Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.1
- Assigner Short Name
- canonical
- Date Reserved
- 2025-05-26T12:29:30.522Z
- Cvss Version
- 3.1
- State
- PUBLISHED
Threat ID: 68719ecda83201eaacb1b8a0
Added to database: 7/11/2025, 11:31:25 PM
Last enriched: 7/19/2025, 8:57:57 PM
Last updated: 8/23/2025, 2:50:43 AM
Views: 32
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