CVE-2025-61557 in nixseparatedebuginfod
Summary
by MITRE • 12/30/2025
nixseparatedebuginfod before v0.4.1 is vulnerable to Directory Traversal.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/30/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-61557 affects nixseparatedebuginfod versions prior to v0.4.1 and represents a directory traversal flaw that allows attackers to access files outside the intended directory structure. This type of vulnerability falls under the category of improper input validation and is classified as CWE-22 according to the Common Weakness Enumeration catalog. The nixseparatedebuginfod utility is designed to separate debug information from nix packages and serve it through a debug information server, making it an integral component in debugging and development environments where symbol resolution is critical for software analysis.
The technical implementation of this directory traversal vulnerability occurs when the application fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input that is used to construct file paths. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting malicious requests that include directory traversal sequences such as ../ or ..\ which bypass normal path validation mechanisms. When processed by the vulnerable version of nixseparatedebuginfod, these sequences allow unauthorized access to files and directories that should remain restricted, potentially exposing sensitive system information, configuration files, or even system binaries that could be leveraged for further exploitation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it could enable attackers to access critical system resources that may contain sensitive data or provide footholds for more sophisticated attacks. In environments where nixseparatedebuginfod operates with elevated privileges or serves debug information for multiple users, the potential for damage increases significantly. The vulnerability could be exploited through network-based attacks, allowing remote adversaries to enumerate and retrieve files from the underlying filesystem without proper authentication or authorization. This aligns with ATT&CK technique T1083 which covers directory and file enumeration as a method for information gathering.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2025-61557 should prioritize immediate upgrade to version 0.4.1 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the directory traversal vulnerability. Additionally, system administrators should implement proper input validation and sanitization measures to prevent similar issues in other applications. Network segmentation and access controls should be enforced to limit exposure of the affected service, while monitoring systems should be configured to detect and alert on suspicious file access patterns. The fix implemented in the patched version likely includes proper path normalization and validation checks that prevent traversal sequences from being processed as legitimate file path components, thereby protecting the integrity of the application's file access mechanisms and maintaining the security boundaries established by the software's intended operation.