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CVE-2025-14282

Dropbear: privilege escalation via unix domain socket forwardings

5.4 MediumFix available

A flaw was found in Dropbear. When running in multi-user mode and authenticating users, the dropbear ssh server does the socket forwardings requested by the remote client as root, only switching to the logged-in user upon spawning a shell or performing some operations like reading the user's files. With the recent ability of also using unix domain sockets as the forwarding destination any user able to log in via ssh can connect to any unix socket with the root's credentials, bypassing both file system restrictions and any SO_PEERCRED / SO_PASSCRED checks performed by the peer.

Attack profile

How easy it is to exploit

Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges needed
Low
User interaction
None

What an attacker can affect

Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
Low
Availability
None

Exploit likelihood

0.40%Up 0.4 points since Feb 13, 2026
90%50%10%1%

What each source reports

CVE List Score used 5.4

Dropbear: privilege escalation via unix domain socket forwardings

A flaw was found in Dropbear. When running in multi-user mode and authenticating users, the dropbear ssh server does the socket forwardings requested by the remote client as root, only switching to the logged-in user upon spawning a shell or performing some operations like reading the user's files. With the recent ability of also using unix domain sockets as the forwarding destination any user able to log in via ssh can connect to any unix socket with the root's credentials, bypassing both file system restrictions and any SO_PEERCRED / SO_PASSCRED checks performed by the peer.

Record
CVE-2025-14282
CVSS 3.1
5.4 MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N
Weakness
CWE-266
Updated
2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2025-207001 5.4

A flaw was found in Dropbear. When running in multi-user mode and authenticating users, the dropbear ssh server does the socket forwardings requested by the remote client as root, only switching to the logged-in user upon spawning a shell or performing some operations like reading the user's files. With the recent ability of also using unix domain sockets as the forwarding destination any user able to log in via ssh can connect to any unix socket with the root's credentials, bypassing both file system restrictions and any SO_PEERCRED / SO_PASSCRED checks performed by the peer.

Record
EUVD-2025-207001
CVSS 3.1
5.4 MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N
Updated
2026-11-02
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-xqcm-jrw9-wq72 5.4

A flaw was found in Dropbear. When running in multi-user mode and authenticating users, the...

A flaw was found in Dropbear. When running in multi-user mode and authenticating users, the dropbear ssh server does the socket forwardings requested by the remote client as root, only switching to the logged-in user upon spawning a shell or performing some operations like reading the user's files. With the recent ability of also using unix domain sockets as the forwarding destination any user able to log in via ssh can connect to any unix socket with the root's credentials, bypassing both file system restrictions and any SO_PEERCRED / SO_PASSCRED checks performed by the peer.

Record
GHSA-xqcm-jrw9-wq72
CVSS 3.1
5.4 MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N
Weakness
CWE-266
Updated
2026-11-02
NVD 5.4

A flaw was found in Dropbear. When running in multi-user mode and authenticating users, the dropbear ssh server does the socket forwardings requested by the remote client as root, only switching to the logged-in user upon spawning a shell or performing some operations like reading the user's files. With the recent ability of also using unix domain sockets as the forwarding destination any user able to log in via ssh can connect to any unix socket with the root's credentials, bypassing both file system restrictions and any SO_PEERCRED / SO_PASSCRED checks performed by the peer.

Record
CVE-2025-14282
CVSS 3.1
5.4 MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N
Weakness
CWE-266
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVALPINE-CVE-2025-14282 5.4

A flaw was found in Dropbear. When running in multi-user mode and authenticating users, the dropbear ssh server does the socket forwardings requested by the remote client as root, only switching to the logged-in user upon spawning a shell or performing some operations like reading the user's files. With the recent ability of also using unix domain sockets as the forwarding destination any user able to log in via ssh can connect to any unix socket with the root's credentials, bypassing both file system restrictions and any SO_PEERCRED / SO_PASSCRED checks performed by the peer.

Record
ALPINE-CVE-2025-14282
CVSS 3.1
5.4 MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N
Updated
2026-11-02
OSV 5.4

Dropbear: privilege escalation via unix domain socket forwardings

A flaw was found in Dropbear. When running in multi-user mode and authenticating users, the dropbear ssh server does the socket forwardings requested by the remote client as root, only switching to the logged-in user upon spawning a shell or performing some operations like reading the user's files. With the recent ability of also using unix domain sockets as the forwarding destination any user able to log in via ssh can connect to any unix socket with the root's credentials, bypassing both file system restrictions and any SO_PEERCRED / SO_PASSCRED checks performed by the peer.

Record
CVE-2025-14282
CVSS 3.1
5.4 MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N
Weakness
CWE-266
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVDEBIAN-CVE-2025-14282 5.4

A flaw was found in Dropbear. When running in multi-user mode and authenticating users, the dropbear ssh server does the socket forwardings requested by the remote client as root, only switching to the logged-in user upon spawning a shell or performing some operations like reading the user's files. With the recent ability of also using unix domain sockets as the forwarding destination any user able to log in via ssh can connect to any unix socket with the root's credentials, bypassing both file system restrictions and any SO_PEERCRED / SO_PASSCRED checks performed by the peer.

Record
DEBIAN-CVE-2025-14282
CVSS 3.1
5.4 MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N
Updated
2026-11-02
OSVUBUNTU-CVE-2025-14282 5.4

A flaw was found in Dropbear. When running in multi-user mode and authenticating users, the dropbear ssh server does the socket forwardings requested by the remote client as root, only switching to the logged-in user upon spawning a shell or performing some operations like reading the user's files. With the recent ability of also using unix domain sockets as the forwarding destination any user able to log in via ssh can connect to any unix socket with the root's credentials, bypassing both file system restrictions and any SO_PEERCRED / SO_PASSCRED checks performed by the peer.

Record
UBUNTU-CVE-2025-14282
CVSS 3.1
5.4 MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N
Updated
2026-11-02

Affected products

Affected packages

Affected packages
PackageAffectedFixed
dropbear
Alpine:v3.24
before 2025.89-r0
2025.89-r0
dropbear
Debian:13
before 2025.89-1~deb13u1, plus listed versions
2025.88-2
2025.89-1~deb13u1
dropbear
Debian:14
before 2025.89-1, plus listed versions
2025.88-22025.89-1~deb13u1
2025.89-1
dropbear
Ubuntu:16.04:LTS
All versions, plus listed versions
2014.65-1ubuntu22015.68-12015.70-12015.71-12016.72-1
None known
dropbear
Ubuntu:Pro:18.04:LTS
All versions, plus listed versions
2017.75-22017.75-3build12017.75-3ubuntu0.1~esm1
None known
dropbear
Ubuntu:Pro:20.04:LTS
All versions, plus listed versions
2019.78-2build12019.78-2ubuntu0.1~esm1
None known
dropbear
Ubuntu:22.04:LTS
All versions, plus listed versions
2020.81-32020.81-42020.81-52020.81-5ubuntu0.1
None known
dropbear
Ubuntu:24.04:LTS
All versions, plus listed versions
2022.83-22022.83-32022.83-4
None known
dropbear
Ubuntu:25.10
All versions, plus listed versions
2024.86-22025.88-2
None known
dropbear
Ubuntu:26.04:LTS
All versions, plus listed versions
2025.88-22025.89-1
None known

History

History
RecordedChangedSources
first indexedCVE List, EUVD, GitHub Advisories, NVD, OSV

Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.

In short

CVE-2025-14282 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 5.4) in Https://github.com/mkj/dropbear/ Dropbear, published December 19, 2025. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.40%, the 35th percentile. Fixed in dropbear 2025.89-r0.

References

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