CVE-2025-48505 in Vitis Unified
Summary
by MITRE • 08/11/2026
Weak permissions in the Vitis™ Unified installation path on local Windows machines could allow a low-privileged user to achieve privileged escalation, potentially resulting in arbitrary code execution.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/11/2026
This vulnerability represents a classic privilege escalation flaw within the Vitis™ Unified development environment installation on windows platforms. The core issue stems from inadequate permission controls applied to the installation directory structure, creating an opportunity for low-privileged users to manipulate system resources that should be restricted to administrators or privileged processes. The vulnerability manifests when installation paths contain directories or files with overly permissive access controls that allow unauthorized modification by non-administrative accounts.
The technical flaw operates through a combination of weak discretionary access control mechanisms and improper privilege separation during the installation process. When Vitis™ Unified is installed on windows systems, certain components within the installation directory tree are configured with world-readable or world-writable permissions, or lack proper access control lists that would normally prevent standard users from modifying critical system elements. This misconfiguration creates a pathway where a low-privileged user can modify executable files, configuration settings, or installation scripts that are typically protected from unauthorized modification.
From an operational perspective this vulnerability presents significant risks to enterprise security environments where development workstations may be shared or where least privilege principles are not strictly enforced. The potential for arbitrary code execution represents a critical escalation path that could allow attackers to install backdoors, modify system binaries, or establish persistent access to the compromised machine. The impact extends beyond simple privilege elevation as it can enable further lateral movement within networks where development environments are connected to production systems.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-276 which specifically addresses incorrect permissions for critical resources and represents a failure in implementing proper security by design principles during software installation processes. From an attack framework perspective this issue maps to multiple ATT&CK techniques including privilege escalation through access token manipulation and persistence mechanisms. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including reviewing and correcting file permissions on existing installations, applying the latest patches from xilinx, and ensuring that development environments follow proper security hardening practices.
Security best practices recommend implementing the principle of least privilege for installation directories and ensuring that only authorized administrators can modify critical system components. Regular permission audits of development tool installation paths should be conducted to identify and remediate similar misconfigurations across the enterprise. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing application control measures and monitoring for unauthorized modifications to critical system files that could indicate exploitation attempts targeting this class of vulnerability.