CVE-2025-52923 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting Sangfor aTrust version 2.4.10. The issue stems from incorrect permission assignment (CWE-732) related to the modification of the ExecStartPre command within the systemd service configuration. Specifically, users without privileged access can modify the ExecStartPre directive, which is executed before the main service starts. This misconfiguration allows unauthorized users to influence the service startup process, potentially injecting malicious commands or scripts. The vulnerability does not impact confidentiality or availability directly but compromises integrity by allowing unauthorized modification of critical service startup parameters. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 4.3, reflecting a local attack vector (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), no user interaction (UI:N), and a scope change (S:C) indicating that the vulnerability affects resources beyond the initially vulnerable component. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the potential for privilege escalation or persistent unauthorized code execution exists if exploited. The lack of authentication requirements and no need for user interaction increase the risk of exploitation in environments where unprivileged users have access to the system running Sangfor aTrust 2.4.10. The vulnerability is rooted in improper permission settings on critical resources, which is a common security misconfiguration leading to unauthorized control over system behavior.

For European organizations using Sangfor aTrust 2.4.10, this vulnerability poses a risk primarily to the integrity of their systems. Since aTrust is often deployed in enterprise environments for secure access and authentication management, unauthorized modification of service startup commands could lead to privilege escalation or persistent backdoors. This could compromise internal security controls, potentially allowing attackers to bypass authentication mechanisms or implant malicious code that persists across service restarts. The impact is particularly significant for organizations handling sensitive data or critical infrastructure, as unauthorized command execution could facilitate lateral movement or data manipulation. However, the vulnerability does not directly affect confidentiality or availability, limiting its impact to integrity concerns. The risk is heightened in environments where multiple users have local access or where endpoint security is lax. European entities in sectors such as finance, government, and critical infrastructure that rely on Sangfor products for secure authentication could face targeted exploitation attempts if attackers gain local access.

To mitigate CVE-2025-52923, organizations should immediately audit and restrict permissions on the ExecStartPre command configuration files associated with Sangfor aTrust services. Ensure that only highly privileged users (e.g., root or system administrators) have write access to these files. Implement strict file system ACLs and SELinux/AppArmor policies to prevent unauthorized modifications. Regularly monitor service configuration files for unauthorized changes using file integrity monitoring tools. Upgrade Sangfor aTrust to a patched version once available; if no patch exists, consider disabling or restricting the affected service until remediation is possible. Additionally, limit local user access to systems running aTrust, enforce strong endpoint security controls, and conduct regular privilege reviews to minimize the number of users with local access. Employ logging and alerting on service startup modifications to detect potential exploitation attempts early. Finally, conduct security awareness training to ensure administrators understand the risks of improper permission assignments on critical system resources.