CVE-2025-0781 in SimGear
Summary
by MITRE • 01/28/2025
An attacker can bypass the sandboxing of Nasal scripts and arbitrarily write to any file path that the user has permission to modify at the operating-system level.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/06/2025
This vulnerability represents a critical sandbox escape in Nasal scripting environments where attackers can circumvent the intended security boundaries designed to isolate script execution from the underlying operating system. The flaw allows malicious actors to gain unauthorized access to file system operations that should typically be restricted within the sandboxed environment. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and permission checking mechanisms within the Nasal interpreter, which fails to properly enforce the security boundaries that separate script execution contexts from system-level file operations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the exploitation of insufficient path validation and access control checks within the scripting engine. When Nasal scripts attempt to perform file operations, the system should verify that these operations occur within designated safe directories or that appropriate user permissions are granted through proper authorization mechanisms. However, the flaw allows attackers to manipulate file path references in a way that bypasses these security checks, enabling arbitrary write operations to locations accessible by the executing user account. This represents a classic sandbox breakout scenario where the containment mechanisms fail to properly restrict file system access based on the script's execution context and user privileges.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it provides attackers with the ability to modify or create files in locations where the user account has write permissions, potentially leading to persistent compromise, data exfiltration, or system integrity violations. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to install malicious payloads, modify configuration files, or corrupt system data, depending on the user's privileges and the specific file system locations accessible. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in environments where Nasal scripting is used for automation tasks or as part of larger applications that may be running with elevated privileges, as it could enable privilege escalation scenarios.
From a security standards perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-250 Improper Privilege Management and CWE-732 Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resources, as it demonstrates inadequate access control mechanisms that allow unauthorized file system modifications. The vulnerability also maps to ATT&CK technique T1059.006 for NAS and T1566 for phishing or social engineering attacks that could leverage this capability to establish persistence. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including restricting file system access permissions for Nasal script execution environments, implementing stricter path validation mechanisms, and ensuring that scripts operate with the minimum required privileges necessary for their intended functions. Additionally, regular security audits of script execution environments and monitoring for unauthorized file system modifications should be implemented to detect potential exploitation attempts.