CVE-2025-9844 is a high-severity vulnerability classified under CWE-427 (Uncontrolled Search Path Element) affecting the Salesforce Command Line Interface (CLI) on Windows platforms. This vulnerability exists in versions of Salesforce CLI prior to 2.106.6. The core issue arises from the improper handling of the search path for executable files, allowing an attacker with limited privileges (requires low privileges but no user interaction) to replace or insert a malicious executable that the CLI would trust and execute. This can lead to a complete compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected system. The CVSS score of 8.8 reflects the critical nature of this vulnerability, with network attack vector, low attack complexity, and no user interaction required. Exploitation could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the user running the Salesforce CLI, potentially leading to data theft, unauthorized system control, or disruption of services. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the vulnerability’s characteristics make it a significant risk, especially in environments where Salesforce CLI is used extensively for development, deployment, or automation tasks on Windows systems.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-9844 could be substantial. Salesforce is widely used across Europe in sectors such as finance, retail, manufacturing, and public administration. The Salesforce CLI is a critical tool for developers and administrators managing Salesforce environments. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive customer data, intellectual property, and internal business processes. Given the high privileges that could be gained, attackers might also pivot within corporate networks, leading to broader compromise. This could result in regulatory non-compliance issues under GDPR due to data breaches, financial losses, reputational damage, and operational disruptions. Organizations relying heavily on Salesforce automation and integration on Windows workstations or build servers are particularly at risk. The vulnerability’s exploitation could also undermine trust in cloud and hybrid deployment models prevalent in European enterprises.

To mitigate CVE-2025-9844, European organizations should: 1) Immediately update Salesforce CLI to version 2.106.6 or later where the vulnerability is patched. 2) Enforce strict control over the directories included in the system PATH environment variable, especially on Windows machines running Salesforce CLI, to prevent insertion of malicious executables. 3) Implement application whitelisting and code integrity verification to detect and block unauthorized executable replacements. 4) Restrict user privileges to the minimum necessary, avoiding running Salesforce CLI with elevated permissions. 5) Monitor and audit usage of Salesforce CLI for unusual behavior or unexpected process executions. 6) Educate developers and administrators about the risks of uncontrolled search paths and encourage secure development and deployment practices. 7) Employ endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions capable of detecting suspicious file modifications or process injections related to CLI tools.