CVE-2025-43079
Local Privilege Escalation via qagent_uninstall.sh Qualys Cloud Agents
The Qualys Cloud Agent included a bundled uninstall script (qagent_uninstall.sh), specific to Mac and Linux supported versions that invoked multiple system commands without using absolute paths and without sanitizing the $PATH environment. If the uninstall script is executed with elevated privileges (e.g., via sudo) in an environment where $PATH has been manipulated, an attacker with root/sudo privileges could cause malicious executables to be run in place of the intended system binaries. This behavior can be leveraged for local privilege escalation and arbitrary command execution under elevated privileges.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- High
- Privileges needed
- High
- User interaction
- Required
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
CVE List Score used
6.3
Local Privilege Escalation via qagent_uninstall.sh Qualys Cloud Agents
The Qualys Cloud Agent included a bundled uninstall script (qagent_uninstall.sh), specific to Mac and Linux supported versions that invoked multiple system commands without using absolute paths and without sanitizing the $PATH environment. If the uninstall script is executed with elevated privileges (e.g., via sudo) in an environment where $PATH has been manipulated, an attacker with root/sudo privileges could cause malicious executables to be run in place of the intended system binaries. This behavior can be leveraged for local privilege escalation and arbitrary command execution under elevated privileges.
- Record
CVE-2025-43079- CVSS 3.1
- 6.3 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-426
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2025-48941
6.3
The Qualys Cloud Agent included a bundled uninstall script (qagent_uninstall.sh), specific to Mac and Linux supported versions that invoked multiple system commands without using absolute paths and without sanitizing the $PATH environment. If the uninstall script is executed with elevated privileges (e.g., via sudo) in an environment where $PATH has been manipulated, an attacker with root/sudo privileges could cause malicious executables to be run in place of the intended system binaries. This behavior can be leveraged for local privilege escalation and arbitrary command execution under elevated privileges.
- Record
EUVD-2025-48941- CVSS 3.1
- 6.3 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-02
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-j3gv-x7fr-5wqw
6.3
The Qualys Cloud Agent included a bundled uninstall script (qagent_uninstall.sh), specific to...
The Qualys Cloud Agent included a bundled uninstall script (qagent_uninstall.sh), specific to MacOS and Linux supported versions that invoked multiple system commands without using absolute paths and without sanitizing the $PATH environment. If the uninstall script is executed with elevated privileges (e.g., via sudo) in an environment where $PATH has been manipulated, an attacker with root/sudo privileges could cause malicious executables to be run in place of the intended system binaries. This behavior can be leveraged for local privilege escalation and arbitrary command execution under elevated privileges.
- Record
GHSA-j3gv-x7fr-5wqw- CVSS 3.1
- 6.3 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-426, CWE-732
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
NVD
6.3
The Qualys Cloud Agent included a bundled uninstall script (qagent_uninstall.sh), specific to Mac and Linux supported versions that invoked multiple system commands without using absolute paths and without sanitizing the $PATH environment. If the uninstall script is executed with elevated privileges (e.g., via sudo) in an environment where $PATH has been manipulated, an attacker with root/sudo privileges could cause malicious executables to be run in place of the intended system binaries. This behavior can be leveraged for local privilege escalation and arbitrary command execution under elevated privileges.
- Record
CVE-2025-43079- CVSS 3.1
- 6.3 Medium
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-426
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| first indexed | CVE List, EUVD, GitHub Advisories, NVD |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2025-43079 is a medium vulnerability (CVSS 6.3) in Qualys Inc Agent, published November 10, 2025. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.17%, the 6th percentile. No source names a fixed version.