CVE-2025-2272 in FIE Endpoint
Summary
by MITRE • 05/22/2025
Uncontrolled Search Path Element vulnerability in Forcepoint FIE Endpoint allows Privilege Escalation, Code Injection, Hijacking a privileged process.This issue affects FIE Endpoint: before 25.05.
Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/24/2025
The Uncontrolled Search Path Element vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-2272 represents a critical security flaw within Forcepoint FIE Endpoint software versions prior to 25.05. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-427 category, which specifically addresses uncontrolled search path elements that can lead to privilege escalation and code injection attacks. The flaw stems from improper handling of environment variables and search paths during application execution, creating opportunities for malicious actors to manipulate the software's behavior and gain elevated privileges.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability allows attackers to exploit the application's search path resolution mechanism by placing malicious executables or libraries in directories that are searched before legitimate system locations. This creates a condition where the system loads unauthorized code instead of the intended legitimate components, enabling privilege escalation attacks. The vulnerability specifically affects the endpoint protection software's ability to properly validate and sanitize search paths, allowing adversaries to hijack privileged processes through carefully crafted file placement in the application's execution environment.
Operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation to encompass full code injection capabilities and process hijacking. Attackers can leverage this weakness to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges, potentially gaining access to sensitive system resources and data. The vulnerability particularly affects environments where Forcepoint FIE Endpoint is deployed with elevated permissions, as the compromised software can then be used to establish persistent access or escalate privileges to SYSTEM level. This creates a significant risk for enterprise environments where endpoint protection is critical for security operations.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2025-2272 should prioritize immediate deployment of Forcepoint FIE Endpoint version 25.05 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the uncontrolled search path element vulnerability. Organizations should also implement strict file system permissions and monitoring to detect unauthorized modifications to application directories. Security teams should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments of endpoint protection software configurations and establish monitoring procedures to identify potential exploitation attempts. Additionally, implementing application whitelisting policies and restricting write permissions to critical application directories can significantly reduce the attack surface for this type of vulnerability. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under privilege escalation techniques, specifically leveraging environment variables and search path manipulation to gain elevated system access, making it a critical target for defensive security measures and incident response planning.