CVE-2025-53841: Akamai Guardicore Platform Agent · Untrusted Functionality Inclusion
Affects Akamai Guardicore Platform AgentSource CVE Database V5
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.8 High.
Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 17:16 UTC
- EPSS
- 0.1% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 4% 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:HExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 3 Dec 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
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| Akamai Guardicore Platform Agent | Affected
| Fixed in– |
AI-suggested
European organizations should immediately verify their deployment of the Akamai Guardicore Platform Agent and identify affected versions prior to v49.20.1, v50.15.0, v51.12.0, and v52.2.0. Since no official patches are linked, organizations should: 1) Restrict write permissions on the directory where the OpenSSL configuration file is read to prevent unprivileged users from placing malicious files. 2) Employ application whitelisting and endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools to monitor for suspicious DLL loading or configuration file modifications related to the Guardicore Agent. 3) Limit local user access rights and enforce the principle of least privilege to reduce the risk of local exploitation. 4) Monitor logs for unusual activity from the Guardicore Agent process or unexpected DLL loads. 5) Engage with Akamai support for official patches or updates and apply them promptly once available. 6) Consider network segmentation and multi-factor authentication to reduce the likelihood of initial local access. These steps go beyond generic advice by focusing on controlling the writable location, monitoring for exploitation signs, and minimizing local user privileges.
Description
The GC-AGENTS-SERVICE running as part of Akamai´s Guardicore Platform Agent for Windows versions prior to v49.20.1, v50.15.0, v51.12.0, v52.2.0 is affected by a local privilege escalation vulnerability. The service will attempt to read an OpenSSL configuration file from a non-existent location that standard Windows users have default write access to. This allows an unprivileged local user to create a crafted "openssl.cnf" file in that location and, by specifying the path to a custom DLL file in a custom OpenSSL engine definition, execute arbitrary commands with the privileges of the Guardicore Agent process. Since Guardicore Agent runs with SYSTEM privileges, this permits an unprivileged user to fully elevate privileges to SYSTEM level in this manner.
References
- tuv.com/landingpage/en/vulnerability-disclosure/ (opens in a new tab)
- techdocs.akamai.com/guardicore-platform-agent/changelog (opens in a new tab)
- community.akamai.com/customers/s/article/Windows-Agent-Vulnerability-Summary-and-Resolution (opens in a new tab)
- akamai.com/blog/security/advisory-cve-2025-53841-guardicore-local-privilege-escalation (opens in a new tab)