CVE-2025-2759 in GStreamer
Summary
by MITRE • 05/22/2025
GStreamer Incorrect Permission Assignment Local Privilege Escalation Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows local attackers to escalate privileges on affected installations of GStreamer. An attacker must first obtain the ability to execute low-privileged code on the target system in order to exploit this vulnerability.
The specific flaw exists within the product installer. The issue results from incorrect permissions on folders. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to escalate privileges and execute arbitrary code in the context of a target user. Was ZDI-CAN-25448.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/03/2026
The CVE-2025-2759 vulnerability represents a critical local privilege escalation flaw within the GStreamer multimedia framework that directly impacts system security integrity. This vulnerability specifically affects installations where the GStreamer components are improperly configured during the installation process, creating exploitable permission misconfigurations that can be leveraged by malicious actors. The vulnerability resides in the installer component of GStreamer, which fails to properly establish secure file permissions and directory access controls during the software deployment phase. The flaw enables attackers to elevate their privileges from standard user level to administrative or root level access, creating a significant security risk for systems running vulnerable versions of the multimedia framework.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from improper permission assignment during the GStreamer installation process, which creates directory structures with overly permissive access controls. According to CWE classification, this corresponds to CWE-276: Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resources, which specifically addresses scenarios where system resources receive insufficiently restrictive access controls. The vulnerability manifests when installation scripts or package managers fail to properly set ownership and access permissions on critical directories, allowing local users to modify or execute files that should remain restricted to privileged system processes. This misconfiguration creates a path for privilege escalation attacks where an attacker can manipulate system components to gain elevated privileges through controlled file modifications or execution of malicious code.
The operational impact of CVE-2025-2759 extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it provides attackers with a persistent foothold within affected systems. Once exploited, the vulnerability allows for complete system compromise through the execution of arbitrary code with elevated privileges, potentially enabling data exfiltration, system persistence mechanisms, or further network reconnaissance. The attack vector requires initial access to a low-privileged account, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous in environments where users have legitimate access to system resources. This aligns with ATT&CK framework technique T1068: Local Privilege Escalation, which specifically addresses methods used to gain higher-level privileges on compromised systems. The vulnerability's impact is amplified in enterprise environments where GStreamer is commonly used for multimedia processing, potentially affecting media servers, development workstations, and multimedia applications across multiple system components.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2025-2759 should focus on immediate remediation through updated GStreamer packages that properly implement secure permission assignments during installation. System administrators should conduct comprehensive audits of existing GStreamer installations to identify and correct improper directory permissions, particularly in locations where multimedia processing components are deployed. The vulnerability's exploitation requires an attacker to first establish a foothold on the system, making network segmentation and user access controls important complementary security measures. Organizations should implement regular vulnerability scanning procedures to identify affected installations and ensure that all system components receive timely security updates. Additionally, the principle of least privilege should be enforced by reviewing and restricting access to multimedia processing components, as the vulnerability's exploitation requires local system access. Security monitoring should include detection of unauthorized modifications to GStreamer installation directories and unusual privilege escalation activities, which could indicate exploitation attempts against this vulnerability.