CVE-2025-54519: Doc Nav DLL Hijacking Vulnerability

CVE-2025-54519 Overview

A DLL hijacking vulnerability has been identified in AMD Doc Nav that could allow a local attacker to achieve privilege escalation, potentially resulting in arbitrary code execution. This vulnerability stems from improper handling of DLL search paths, enabling attackers to place malicious DLLs in locations where the application searches for legitimate libraries.

Critical Impact

Local attackers with user-level access can escalate privileges through DLL hijacking, potentially gaining full control of the affected system through arbitrary code execution.

Affected Products

• AMD Doc Nav (specific versions affected - refer to AMD Security Bulletin)

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-02-12 - CVE CVE-2025-54519 published to NVD
• 2026-02-12 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-54519

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-427 (Uncontrolled Search Path Element), a common DLL hijacking weakness. The attack requires local access to the system and some user interaction to trigger the vulnerable code path. If successfully exploited, an attacker can achieve high impact across confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected system.

The vulnerability allows a locally authenticated attacker to place a malicious DLL in a directory that AMD Doc Nav searches when loading dynamic libraries. When the application executes and attempts to load a legitimate DLL, it may instead load the attacker-controlled malicious version, executing arbitrary code with the privileges of the application.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability lies in AMD Doc Nav's improper handling of the DLL search order mechanism. The application fails to properly specify absolute paths when loading dynamic link libraries, or searches in directories where unprivileged users have write access before checking trusted system directories. This creates an opportunity for attackers to plant malicious DLLs that will be loaded in place of legitimate system libraries.

Attack Vector

This is a local attack vector requiring the attacker to have existing access to the target system with low privileges. The attack sequence typically involves:

1. The attacker identifies which DLLs the vulnerable application attempts to load
2. A malicious DLL with the same name as a legitimate dependency is crafted
3. The malicious DLL is placed in a directory that appears earlier in the search path than the legitimate DLL location
4. When a user launches AMD Doc Nav, the application loads the malicious DLL
5. The attacker's code executes with the privileges of the application, potentially escalating to higher privileges

The attack requires some form of user interaction (such as launching the application) to trigger the exploitation. For detailed technical information, refer to the AMD Security Bulletin AMD-SB-8013.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-54519

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected DLL files appearing in AMD Doc Nav installation directories or user-writable paths
• DLL files with unusual timestamps or digital signatures in application directories
• Process creation events showing AMD Doc Nav loading DLLs from non-standard locations
• Unusual child processes spawned by the Doc Nav application

Detection Strategies

• Monitor for DLL loading events from AMD Doc Nav processes that reference unusual file paths
• Implement application whitelisting to prevent unauthorized DLL execution
• Use endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to identify suspicious DLL side-loading behavior
• Audit file system changes in directories where AMD Doc Nav is installed

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable enhanced logging for process creation and DLL load events in Windows Event logs
• Configure SentinelOne or similar EDR solutions to alert on DLL hijacking patterns
• Monitor for privilege escalation attempts following Doc Nav application execution
• Track file integrity changes in AMD software installation directories

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-54519

Immediate Actions Required

• Review the AMD Security Bulletin AMD-SB-8013 for vendor-specific guidance
• Audit systems for unauthorized DLL files in AMD Doc Nav directories
• Restrict write permissions on directories in the DLL search path
• Limit local user access to systems running the vulnerable software until patched

Patch Information

AMD has released security guidance for this vulnerability. System administrators should consult the AMD Security Bulletin AMD-SB-8013 for official patch information and updated software versions. Apply the vendor-recommended patches as soon as they become available in your environment.

Workarounds

• Configure application directories with restrictive ACLs to prevent unprivileged users from writing files
• Remove write permissions for non-administrator users on directories in the application's DLL search path
• Consider using Windows Defender Application Control (WDAC) or AppLocker to restrict DLL loading
• Run the application with minimum necessary privileges until a patch is applied

# Example: Restrict directory permissions on Windows (PowerShell)
# Adjust path to match your AMD Doc Nav installation directory
$path = "C:\Program Files\AMD\Doc Nav"
$acl = Get-Acl $path
$acl.SetAccessRuleProtection($true, $false)
$adminRule = New-Object System.Security.AccessControl.FileSystemAccessRule("BUILTIN\Administrators","FullControl","ContainerInherit,ObjectInherit","None","Allow")
$systemRule = New-Object System.Security.AccessControl.FileSystemAccessRule("NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM","FullControl","ContainerInherit,ObjectInherit","None","Allow")
$usersRule = New-Object System.Security.AccessControl.FileSystemAccessRule("BUILTIN\Users","ReadAndExecute","ContainerInherit,ObjectInherit","None","Allow")
$acl.AddAccessRule($adminRule)
$acl.AddAccessRule($systemRule)
$acl.AddAccessRule($usersRule)
Set-Acl $path $acl