Rapid7 Velociraptor is an endpoint monitoring and forensic tool that uses VQL queries packaged into artifacts to collect data or perform actions on endpoints, often running with elevated privileges. The vulnerability CVE-2025-6264 arises from incorrect default permissions on the Admin.Client.UpdateClientConfig artifact, which is designed to update the client configuration on endpoints. Normally, dangerous artifacts require elevated permissions such as EXECVE to execute, limiting their use to highly privileged users. However, this artifact failed to enforce such permission checks, allowing users with the COLLECT_CLIENT permission—commonly granted to the Investigator role—to collect and execute this artifact. Since this artifact can update client configurations, an attacker with these permissions can execute arbitrary commands on the endpoint, potentially leading to full endpoint takeover. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-276 (Incorrect Default Permissions), indicating a failure to properly restrict access to sensitive functionality. The CVSS 3.1 score of 5.5 reflects a medium severity, with network attack vector, high complexity, requiring high privileges but no user interaction, and impacts on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. No known exploits have been reported in the wild as of the publication date. The vulnerability affects all versions of Velociraptor at the time of disclosure, emphasizing the need for immediate attention from users of this tool.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk primarily to those using Rapid7 Velociraptor for endpoint monitoring, incident response, or forensic investigations. Since Velociraptor is often deployed in security-sensitive environments, exploitation could allow an insider or compromised user with Investigator-level permissions to escalate privileges and execute arbitrary commands on endpoints. This could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data, disruption of endpoint operations, or lateral movement within the network. The impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability is moderate but could be severe in environments where endpoints contain critical or regulated data. Given the requirement of existing COLLECT_CLIENT permissions, the threat is more insider-focused or limited to attackers who have already gained some foothold. However, misuse or abuse of legitimate roles could lead to significant security breaches. European organizations in sectors such as finance, healthcare, government, and critical infrastructure that rely on Velociraptor should consider this vulnerability a priority for risk management and remediation.

1. Immediately audit all users and roles assigned the COLLECT_CLIENT permission within Velociraptor to ensure only trusted personnel have this access. 2. Implement the principle of least privilege by restricting Investigator role assignments and artifact collection permissions to essential users only. 3. Monitor and log all artifact collection activities, especially those involving Admin.Client.UpdateClientConfig, to detect anomalous or unauthorized usage. 4. Apply any patches or updates released by Rapid7 addressing this vulnerability as soon as they become available. 5. If patching is not immediately possible, consider disabling or restricting access to the vulnerable artifact or implementing compensating controls such as network segmentation and endpoint protection to limit potential exploitation. 6. Conduct regular security awareness training for users with elevated permissions to prevent misuse. 7. Review and harden endpoint security configurations to detect and prevent unauthorized command execution. 8. Engage in proactive threat hunting to identify any signs of exploitation attempts related to this vulnerability.