CVE-2025-64517

CVE-2025-64517 is a medium-severity vulnerability with a CVSS 3.x base score of 4.4. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-287.

Key facts

Description

sudo-rs is a memory safe implementation of sudo and su written in Rust. With `Defaults targetpw` (or `Defaults rootpw`) enabled, the password of the target account (or root account) instead of the invoking user is used for authentication. sudo-rs starting in version 0.2.5 and prior to version 0.2.10 incorrectly recorded the invoking user’s UID instead of the authenticated-as user's UID in the authentication timestamp. Any later `sudo` invocation on the same terminal while the timestamp was still valid would use that timestamp, potentially bypassing new authentication even if the policy would have required it. A highly-privileged user (able to run commands as other users, or as root, through sudo) who knows one password of an account they are allowed to run commands as, would be able to run commands as any other account the policy permits them to run commands for, even if they don't know the password for those accounts. A common instance of this would be that a user can still use their own password to run commands as root (the default behaviour of `sudo`), effectively negating the intended behaviour of the `targetpw` or `rootpw` options. Version 0.2.10 contains a patch for the issue. Versions prior to 0.2.5 are not affected, since they do not offer `Defaults targetpw` or `Defaults rootpw`.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2025-64517?
sudo-rs is a memory safe implementation of sudo and su written in Rust. With `Defaults targetpw` (or `Defaults rootpw`) enabled, the password of the target account (or root account) instead of the invoking user is used for authentication. sudo-rs starting in version 0.2.5 and prior to version 0.2.10 incorrectly recorded the invoking user’s UID instead of the authenticated-as user's UID in the authentication timestamp. Any later `sudo` invocation on the same terminal while the timestamp was still valid would use that timestamp, potentially bypassing new authentication even if the policy would have required it. A highly-privileged user (able to run commands as other users, or as root, through sudo) who knows one password of an account they are allowed to run commands as, would be able to run commands as any other account the policy permits them to run commands for, even if they don't know the password for those accounts. A common instance of this would be that a user can still use their own password to run commands as root (the default behaviour of `sudo`), effectively negating the intended behaviour of the `targetpw` or `rootpw` options. Version 0.2.10 contains a patch for the issue. Versions prior to 0.2.5 are not affected, since they do not offer `Defaults targetpw` or `Defaults rootpw`.
How severe is CVE-2025-64517?
CVE-2025-64517 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 4.4, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires high privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity high, and availability none.
Is CVE-2025-64517 being actively exploited?
It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (5th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
How do I fix CVE-2025-64517?
Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
Does CVE-2025-64517 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?
Yes. CVE-2025-64517 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2025-150364.
When was CVE-2025-64517 published?
CVE-2025-64517 was published on 2025-11-12 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Other CWE-287 (Improper Authentication) vulnerabilities

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