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 identified as CVE-2025-6264 involves the Admin.Client.UpdateClientConfig artifact, which is designed to update the client configuration on endpoints. Normally, Velociraptor restricts access to dangerous artifacts by requiring high-level permissions such as EXECVE to launch them. However, this artifact did not enforce such additional permission checks, allowing users with the COLLECT_CLIENT permission—typically assigned to the Investigator role—to collect this artifact and thereby update client configurations. Because these configurations can include commands executed on the endpoint, this flaw enables arbitrary command execution and potential endpoint takeover. Exploitation requires that the attacker already has the ability to collect artifacts from the endpoint, meaning they have elevated privileges but not necessarily full administrative control. The vulnerability stems from incorrect default permissions (CWE-276) that fail to adequately protect a sensitive artifact. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 5.5 (medium severity), reflecting network attack vector, high complexity, high privileges required, no user interaction, and partial impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. No public exploits are known at this time, but the vulnerability could be leveraged in insider threat scenarios or by attackers who have compromised Investigator-level credentials. Organizations should carefully review role assignments and artifact permission configurations in Velociraptor deployments to prevent unauthorized configuration changes and endpoint compromise.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk primarily in environments where Velociraptor is deployed for endpoint monitoring, incident response, or forensic investigations. An attacker or insider with Investigator-level permissions could leverage this flaw to escalate privileges by updating client configurations to execute arbitrary commands, potentially leading to full endpoint compromise. This could result in unauthorized data access, disruption of endpoint operations, or lateral movement within the network. Given the elevated privileges typically associated with Velociraptor artifacts, exploitation could undermine the integrity and availability of critical systems. Organizations in sectors with stringent data protection requirements, such as finance, healthcare, and government, could face regulatory and reputational damage if this vulnerability is exploited. The medium severity score indicates a moderate but non-trivial risk, especially in complex environments where role-based access controls are not tightly enforced. The lack of known exploits suggests a window of opportunity for proactive mitigation before active attacks emerge.

1. Immediately audit and restrict the assignment of the COLLECT_CLIENT permission and Investigator role within Velociraptor to only trusted personnel with a clear operational need. 2. Implement strict role-based access controls (RBAC) and regularly review artifact permissions to ensure sensitive artifacts like Admin.Client.UpdateClientConfig require EXECVE or equivalent high-level permissions. 3. Monitor Velociraptor logs and endpoint activity for unusual artifact collection or configuration update attempts, especially from Investigator accounts. 4. Employ network segmentation and endpoint protection measures to limit the impact of potential endpoint takeovers. 5. Coordinate with Rapid7 to obtain and apply patches or configuration updates addressing this vulnerability as soon as they become available. 6. Consider additional multi-factor authentication (MFA) for users with elevated Velociraptor permissions to reduce risk of credential compromise. 7. Conduct regular security awareness training emphasizing the risks of privilege misuse within endpoint monitoring tools. 8. Where possible, implement anomaly detection to flag unexpected changes in client configurations or artifact usage patterns. These steps go beyond generic advice by focusing on permission hygiene, monitoring, and proactive detection tailored to Velociraptor’s operational context.