Improper Permissions in Splunk Universal Forwarder for Windows

CVE-2025-20298

What is CVE-2025-20298?

CVE-2025-20298 is a vulnerability found in the Splunk Universal Forwarder for Windows, specifically in versions prior to 9.4.2, 9.3.4, 9.2.6, and 9.1.9. The Splunk Universal Forwarder is a lightweight software component designed to collect and forward log data from various sources to a Splunk instance for indexing. This vulnerability arises from improper permission assignments in the installation directory, which by default is located at C:\Program Files\SplunkUniversalForwarder. When this issue occurs during installation or an upgrade, it grants non-administrator users access to the directory and its contents, potentially compromising data integrity and confidentiality. Consequently, organizations utilizing these affected versions may experience unauthorized access, leading to further security risks, including data manipulation or system misuse.

Potential impact of CVE-2025-20298

1. Unauthorized Access: The improper permissions allow non-administrator users to access sensitive information within the Splunk Universal Forwarder installation, which could lead to unauthorized viewing or manipulation of log data.

2. Data Integrity Risks: With unauthorized access, there is an increased risk of data integrity violations, where attackers could modify log files or other critical system components, potentially obscuring the organization's security posture.

3. Compromise of Security Posture: The vulnerability could enable adversaries to exploit the exposed information, leading to broader system vulnerabilities. This can lower the overall security posture of an organization, making it a target for further attacks, including data breaches or malware deployment.

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