CVE-2025-14625: Altera Quartus Prime Path Vulnerability

CVE-2025-14625 Overview

CVE-2025-14625 is an Uncontrolled Search Path Element vulnerability affecting Intel Altera Quartus Prime Standard and Lite editions on Windows. The vulnerability exists within the Nios II Command Shell modules and enables Search Order Hijacking attacks. This issue impacts Quartus Prime Standard and Lite versions from 19.1 through 24.1.

Critical Impact

An attacker with local access can exploit the search path vulnerability to execute arbitrary code by placing a malicious DLL in a location that gets searched before the legitimate system directories, potentially leading to full system compromise.

Affected Products

• Altera Quartus Prime Standard on Windows (Nios II Command Shell modules) versions 19.1 through 24.1
• Altera Quartus Prime Lite on Windows (Nios II Command Shell modules) versions 19.1 through 24.1

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-01-07 - CVE-2025-14625 published to NVD
• 2026-01-08 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-14625

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability stems from CWE-427 (Uncontrolled Search Path Element), a weakness that occurs when an application searches for external resources (such as DLL files) in directories that may be under attacker control. In the context of Altera Quartus Prime's Nios II Command Shell modules, the application does not properly restrict the search path used for loading required libraries.

When the Nios II Command Shell is executed, Windows follows a specific search order to locate DLL files. If an attacker can place a malicious DLL with a specific name in a directory that appears earlier in the search path than the legitimate library location, the malicious code will be loaded and executed with the same privileges as the Quartus Prime application.

The local attack vector requires the attacker to have some level of access to the target system to plant the malicious DLL. Additionally, user interaction is required, meaning a legitimate user must invoke the vulnerable functionality for the attack to succeed.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2025-14625 is the improper handling of the DLL search path within the Nios II Command Shell modules. The application fails to specify an absolute path when loading dynamic libraries, instead relying on the default Windows search order. This allows directories in the current working directory, user-controlled paths, or other accessible locations to be searched before secure system directories.

Attack Vector

The attack vector for this vulnerability is local, requiring the attacker to have prior access to the target Windows system. The exploitation process involves:

1. Identifying which DLLs the Nios II Command Shell attempts to load without specifying absolute paths
2. Creating a malicious DLL with the same name as the target library
3. Placing the malicious DLL in a directory that precedes the legitimate DLL location in the search order (such as the application's working directory or a directory in the user's PATH)
4. Waiting for or inducing a legitimate user to execute the Nios II Command Shell functionality

When successfully exploited, the attacker's malicious code executes within the context of the Quartus Prime application, potentially gaining the same privileges as the user running the software.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-14625

Indicators of Compromise

• Presence of unexpected DLL files in Quartus Prime installation directories or working folders
• Unusual DLL files in directories commonly used by development tools or included in user PATH variables
• Process execution logs showing Quartus Prime loading DLLs from non-standard locations

Detection Strategies

• Monitor file system activity for DLL creation events in Quartus Prime installation paths and related working directories
• Implement application whitelisting to prevent unauthorized DLL loading
• Use endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools to detect DLL side-loading behavior
• Review Windows Event Logs for process creation events with suspicious parent-child relationships involving Quartus Prime executables

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed logging for DLL load operations on systems running Quartus Prime
• Configure SentinelOne Singularity platform to monitor for DLL hijacking patterns and search order manipulation
• Establish baseline behavior for Quartus Prime application and alert on deviations in library loading patterns
• Periodically audit file system permissions on directories within the application's search path

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-14625

Immediate Actions Required

• Review the Altera Security Advisory ASA-0005 for vendor-specific guidance and patches
• Restrict write permissions on directories that appear early in the DLL search path
• Ensure users are running Quartus Prime from secure, administrator-controlled directories
• Implement the principle of least privilege for user accounts that operate Quartus Prime

Patch Information

Consult the Altera Security Advisory ASA-0005 for official patch information and updated versions of Quartus Prime that address this vulnerability. Organizations should prioritize upgrading to patched versions of Quartus Prime Standard and Lite when available.

Workarounds

• Configure Windows to use SafeDllSearchMode by ensuring the registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\SafeDllSearchMode is set to 1
• Remove write access for non-administrator users from the Quartus Prime installation directory and any directories in the system PATH
• Run Quartus Prime and the Nios II Command Shell from a fixed, secure working directory rather than user-controlled locations
• Consider running Quartus Prime in an isolated virtual machine or sandbox environment to limit the impact of potential exploitation