CVE-2025-53391: Debian zulucrypt · Incorrect Authorization
Affects Debian zulucryptSource CVE Database V5
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 9.3 Critical.
Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 10:12 UTC
- EPSS
- 0.1% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 6% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:HExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 28 Jun 2025
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by 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
Immediate mitigation should focus on restricting local user access to affected Debian systems running zulucrypt_6.2.0-1. Organizations should audit and harden PolicyKit configurations, specifically reviewing and correcting the allow_any, allow_inactive, and allow_active settings in the zuluPolkit/CMakeLists.txt or equivalent PolicyKit rules to enforce proper authentication and authorization checks. Until an official patch is released, consider disabling or uninstalling zulucrypt if it is not essential, or restricting its usage to trusted administrators only. Implement strict user account controls and monitoring to detect unauthorized privilege escalation attempts. Employ system integrity monitoring to detect changes to PolicyKit configurations or unauthorized root-level activities. Additionally, organizations should stay alert for updates from Debian or zulucrypt maintainers and apply patches promptly once available. Conduct regular security training to raise awareness about the risks of local privilege escalation and enforce least privilege principles to minimize the number of users with local system access.
Description
The Debian zuluPolkit/CMakeLists.txt file for zuluCrypt through the zulucrypt_6.2.0-1 package has insecure PolicyKit allow_any/allow_inactive/allow_active settings that allow a local user to escalate their privileges to root.
References
- bugs.debian.org/1108288 (opens in a new tab)
- salsa.debian.org/debian/zulucrypt/-/blob/9d661c9f384c4d889d3387944e14ac70cfb9684b/debian/patches/fix_zulupolkit_policy.patch (opens in a new tab)
- deb.debian.org/debian/pool/main/z/zulucrypt/zulucrypt_6.2.0-1.dsc (opens in a new tab)
- bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=1108288 (opens in a new tab)