CVE-2025-54545 Overview
CVE-2025-54545 is a local privilege escalation vulnerability affecting Arista platforms. A restricted user can break out of the command-line interface (CLI) sandbox, reach the underlying system shell, and elevate privileges. The flaw is tracked under CWE-732: Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource and requires local access with low privileges.
Critical Impact
An authenticated restricted user can escape the CLI sandbox, obtain system shell access, and gain elevated privileges leading to full compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability on the affected device.
Affected Products
- Arista platforms as identified in Arista Security Advisory #0124
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-10-29 - CVE-2025-54545 published to the National Vulnerability Database (NVD)
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-54545
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability resides in the CLI sandbox mechanism that constrains restricted user accounts. A restricted user is expected to operate within a limited command surface without access to the underlying operating system. The sandbox fails to enforce those boundaries, allowing an authenticated user to reach the system shell.
Once the user reaches the shell, incorrect permission assignments on system resources enable privilege escalation. The attacker moves from a low-privilege CLI account to a high-privilege context on the device. This grants control over configuration, data planes, and administrative functions.
The attack requires local access and low-privilege authentication. No user interaction is required beyond the attacker's own session. Successful exploitation impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected platform.
Root Cause
The root cause is classified as CWE-732: Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource. Sandbox enforcement and permission boundaries on the underlying shell and system resources are insufficient to contain a restricted CLI user. As a result, controls that separate restricted CLI accounts from privileged system contexts can be bypassed.
Attack Vector
Exploitation requires an authenticated session with restricted CLI privileges on the device. The attacker leverages the sandbox escape to spawn or reach a system shell process. From the shell, the attacker uses the incorrect permission assignment to escalate to a privileged account. Refer to the Arista Security Advisory #0124 for platform-specific exploitation conditions and affected code paths.
No verified proof-of-concept code is publicly available at this time.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-54545
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected shell processes spawned from CLI sessions belonging to restricted users
- New or modified files under system directories created by non-administrative accounts
- Restricted users executing commands or invoking binaries outside the documented CLI command set
- Authentication or sudo-like escalation events initiated by accounts that should not hold elevated rights
Detection Strategies
- Audit account role assignments and compare restricted user activity against expected CLI command baselines
- Enable and centralize CLI command accounting and shell audit logs from affected Arista devices
- Alert on process ancestry that shows shell interpreters descending from CLI sandbox parents
- Correlate configuration changes with the identity and role of the initiating session
Monitoring Recommendations
- Forward device syslog, AAA, and command-accounting events to a centralized SIEM for continuous analysis
- Track privilege elevation attempts and failed sandbox operations across all network devices
- Review restricted user activity on a scheduled cadence and after any configuration or firmware change
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-54545
Immediate Actions Required
- Apply the fixed software versions identified in Arista Security Advisory #0124 as soon as they are available for the affected platform
- Inventory all accounts with restricted CLI roles and verify each account is still required
- Rotate credentials for any restricted user account that may have been exposed
- Restrict management-plane access to trusted administrative networks only
Patch Information
Arista has published remediation guidance in Arista Security Advisory #0124. Consult the advisory for the list of affected releases, fixed versions, and vendor-supplied hotfixes applicable to your deployment.
Workarounds
- Limit CLI access to trusted administrators and remove unnecessary restricted user accounts until patches are applied
- Enforce authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) with strong credentials and multi-factor authentication for device management
- Place management interfaces on a dedicated out-of-band network with strict access control lists
- Enable command accounting and log forwarding to detect misuse of restricted CLI accounts
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
