CVE-2025-15328: Tanium Enforce Path Traversal Flaw

CVE-2025-15328 Overview

CVE-2025-15328 is an improper link resolution before file access vulnerability (CWE-59) affecting Tanium Enforce. This vulnerability class, commonly known as a symlink attack, occurs when a program follows a symbolic link to access a file without properly verifying that the link resolves to an intended target. An attacker with local access can exploit this flaw to access sensitive files that would otherwise be restricted.

Critical Impact

Local attackers with limited privileges can potentially access sensitive configuration data or credentials by exploiting improper symbolic link handling in Tanium Enforce, leading to confidentiality breach.

Affected Products

• Tanium Enforce (specific versions detailed in vendor advisory)

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-02-05 - CVE CVE-2025-15328 published to NVD
• 2026-02-05 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-15328

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability stems from improper link resolution before file access (CWE-59) in Tanium Enforce. When the application processes file operations, it fails to adequately verify that symbolic links resolve to their expected destinations. This creates a race condition opportunity where an attacker can substitute a legitimate file path with a symbolic link pointing to sensitive system files.

The attack requires local access and user interaction, meaning an attacker must already have some level of access to the target system. However, once exploited, the vulnerability can lead to high confidentiality impact, allowing unauthorized access to sensitive files that the attacker would not normally be able to read.

Root Cause

The root cause is the application's failure to implement proper link resolution checks before performing file operations. When Tanium Enforce accesses files during its normal operation, it does not validate whether the target path has been replaced with a symbolic link pointing to an unintended location. This oversight allows an attacker to craft malicious symlinks that redirect file operations to sensitive system resources.

Attack Vector

The attack requires local access to the system where Tanium Enforce is installed. An attacker with low privileges must:

1. Identify file paths accessed by Tanium Enforce during its operations
2. Create a symbolic link at an accessible location that points to a sensitive target file
3. Trigger or wait for the application to perform file operations on the symlinked path
4. Extract sensitive information from the redirected file access

Since no verified code examples are available for this vulnerability, the exploitation mechanism involves standard symlink manipulation techniques. Attackers typically create symbolic links using operating system utilities to redirect file operations from expected paths to sensitive files such as configuration files, credential stores, or system data. For detailed technical information, refer to the Tanium Security Advisory TAN-2025-007.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-15328

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected symbolic links in directories used by Tanium Enforce
• File access attempts targeting sensitive system files from Tanium Enforce processes
• Anomalous file system activity involving symlink creation near Tanium installation paths

Detection Strategies

• Monitor for symbolic link creation events in directories associated with Tanium Enforce using file integrity monitoring solutions
• Implement endpoint detection rules that alert on symlink race condition patterns, such as rapid link creation followed by process file access
• Review Tanium Enforce logs for unexpected file access patterns or errors indicating path resolution issues

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed file system auditing on systems running Tanium Enforce to capture link creation and file access events
• Deploy SentinelOne Singularity Platform to detect and block symlink attack patterns at the endpoint level
• Establish baseline behavior for Tanium Enforce file operations to identify anomalous access attempts

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-15328

Immediate Actions Required

• Review the Tanium Security Advisory TAN-2025-007 for specific remediation guidance
• Update Tanium Enforce to the latest patched version as recommended by the vendor
• Restrict local user access on systems running Tanium Enforce to minimize the attack surface
• Implement file system access controls to prevent unauthorized symlink creation in critical directories

Patch Information

Tanium has addressed this vulnerability in updated versions of Enforce. Organizations should consult the Tanium Security Advisory TAN-2025-007 for specific version information and download the appropriate security update through official Tanium channels.

Workarounds

• Implement strict file system permissions on directories used by Tanium Enforce to prevent symlink creation by non-administrative users
• Enable symlink protection features available in modern operating systems where applicable
• Deploy application control policies to restrict which processes can create symbolic links in sensitive locations

Since no verified code examples are available, organizations should refer to the vendor advisory for specific configuration guidance. General hardening includes restricting write access to Tanium Enforce directories and enabling operating system-level symlink protections where available.