CVE-2025-6019 is a local privilege escalation vulnerability affecting Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10, specifically involving the libblockdev library and its interaction with the udisks daemon. The vulnerability arises due to the "allow_active" setting in Polkit, which permits physically present users certain privileges based on session type. In this scenario, a local attacker with "allow_active" user privileges can exploit the way libblockdev communicates with udisks to escalate their privileges to root. Normally, udisks mounts user-provided filesystem images with security flags such as nosuid and nodev to prevent privilege escalation. However, the attacker can craft a malicious XFS filesystem image containing a SUID-root shell. By tricking udisks into resizing this image, the malicious filesystem is mounted with root privileges, bypassing the usual security flags. This allows the attacker to execute the SUID-root shell and gain full root control over the system. The vulnerability requires local access and a user with "allow_active" permissions, but does not require user interaction beyond initiating the exploit. The CVSS v3.1 score is 7.0, indicating a high severity with high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, though exploitation complexity is high and privileges required are low. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, but the potential for full system compromise makes this a critical concern for affected systems.

For European organizations running Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10, this vulnerability poses a significant risk of local privilege escalation, potentially leading to full system compromise. Attackers who gain physical or local access to affected systems can leverage this flaw to obtain root privileges, bypassing existing security controls. This can result in unauthorized access to sensitive data, disruption of critical services, and the ability to implant persistent malware or backdoors. In environments where multi-user access or shared workstations are common, such as research institutions, universities, or enterprise offices, the risk is heightened. Additionally, organizations relying on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 for critical infrastructure, servers, or cloud deployments may face increased risk of lateral movement and privilege escalation attacks. The vulnerability undermines the integrity and availability of systems, potentially impacting business continuity and compliance with data protection regulations such as GDPR if sensitive data is exposed or systems are disrupted.

To mitigate this vulnerability, organizations should apply security patches from Red Hat as soon as they become available. In the absence of patches, administrators should consider the following specific actions: 1) Restrict physical and local access to systems running Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 to trusted personnel only. 2) Review and tighten Polkit "allow_active" settings to limit which users have these permissions, minimizing the attack surface. 3) Monitor and audit usage of udisks and libblockdev-related operations, especially filesystem image mounting and resizing activities. 4) Implement strict filesystem image validation policies to prevent loading of crafted or untrusted images. 5) Employ host-based intrusion detection systems (HIDS) to detect unusual mounting behaviors or execution of SUID-root shells. 6) Consider disabling or restricting the use of udisks for non-administrative users if feasible. 7) Educate users about the risks of executing or mounting untrusted filesystem images. These targeted mitigations complement patching efforts and reduce the likelihood of exploitation.