CVE-2025-14338
📋 TL;DR
A race condition in Polkit authorization checks before version 0.69.0 can allow privilege escalation when Polkit authentication is disabled by default. This vulnerability affects systems using Polkit for privilege management, particularly those with the default configuration where authentication is disabled. The issue is similar to CVE-2025-66005 and can lead to unauthorized access to privileged operations.
💻 Affected Systems
- Polkit (formerly PolicyKit)
⚠️ Manual Verification Required
This CVE does not have specific version information in our database, so automatic vulnerability detection cannot determine if your system is affected.
Why? The CVE database entry doesn't specify which versions are vulnerable (no version ranges provided by the vendor/NVD).
🔒 Custom verification scripts are available for registered users. Sign up free to download automated test scripts.
- Review the CVE details at NVD
- Check vendor security advisories for your specific version
- Test if the vulnerability is exploitable in your environment
- Consider updating to the latest version as a precaution
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Local attackers can escalate privileges to root or execute arbitrary privileged operations without authentication, potentially gaining full system control.
Likely Case
Local users or processes can bypass authorization checks to perform actions requiring higher privileges than intended.
If Mitigated
With proper Polkit authentication enabled and updated software, the risk is significantly reduced to authorized operations only.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires local access and timing the race condition correctly. Similar to CVE-2025-66005 exploitation patterns.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 0.69.0 and later
Vendor Advisory: https://security.opensuse.org/2026/01/09/inputplumber-lack-of-dbus-auth.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Polkit to version 0.69.0 or later using your distribution's package manager. 2. For Debian/Ubuntu: sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade polkit. 3. For RHEL/CentOS: sudo yum update polkit. 4. For SUSE: sudo zypper update polkit. 5. Restart affected services or reboot the system.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Enable Polkit Authentication
linuxConfigure Polkit to require authentication instead of using the vulnerable default disabled state
Edit /etc/polkit-1/localauthority.conf.d/50-local.conf and ensure authentication is enabled
Set 'auth_admin' or 'auth_self' instead of 'yes' for relevant rules
Restrict Polkit Rules
linuxReview and tighten Polkit authorization rules to minimize attack surface
Review /etc/polkit-1/rules.d/ and /usr/share/polkit-1/rules.d/ for overly permissive rules
Remove or restrict rules allowing 'yes' (always allow) actions
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict access controls and monitoring for local user activities
- Disable unnecessary Polkit services and restrict user privileges through other mechanisms
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Polkit version: pkaction --version. If version is below 0.69.0, the system is vulnerable. Also check if authentication is disabled in Polkit configuration.Check Version:
pkaction --versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify Polkit version is 0.69.0 or higher: pkaction --version. Check that authentication is properly configured in Polkit rules.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual Polkit authorization events in system logs
- Multiple rapid authorization requests suggesting race condition attempts
- Privilege escalation attempts via Polkit mechanisms
Network Indicators:
- Local D-Bus authorization anomalies
- Unexpected process privilege changes
SIEM Query:
source="systemd-journald" AND (process="polkitd" OR process="pkexec") AND (event="AUTHENTICATION" OR event="AUTHORIZATION") AND result="success" WHERE authentication="none"