CVE-2025-67859
📋 TL;DR
CVE-2025-67859 is an improper authentication vulnerability in TLP (a power management tool for Linux) that allows local users to bypass polkit authentication and arbitrarily control power profiles and log settings. This affects TLP versions from 1.9 up to but not including 1.9.1. Only systems with TLP installed and configured are vulnerable.
💻 Affected Systems
- TLP (Linux Power Management)
⚠️ 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 could manipulate power settings to cause system instability, degrade performance, or potentially trigger hardware issues through improper power management.
Likely Case
Local users can change power profiles without authorization, potentially affecting system performance and battery life on laptops.
If Mitigated
With proper access controls and patching, impact is limited to authorized administrative changes only.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires local access to the system. The vulnerability is in polkit authentication handling.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 1.9.1
Vendor Advisory: https://security.opensuse.org/2026/01/07/tlp-polkit-authentication-bypass.html
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update TLP to version 1.9.1 or later using your distribution's package manager. 2. Restart the TLP service or reboot the system. 3. For source installations: download and compile TLP 1.9.1 from the official repository.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict TLP configuration access
linuxTemporarily restrict access to TLP configuration files and commands to authorized users only.
sudo chmod 600 /etc/tlp.conf
sudo chown root:root /etc/tlp.conf
sudo systemctl mask tlp.service
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Remove TLP from systems where it's not essential for operation
- Implement strict user access controls and monitor for unauthorized power profile changes
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check TLP version: tlp-stat -v | grep 'TLP' and verify if version is between 1.9 and 1.9.1 (exclusive).Check Version:
tlp-stat -v | grep 'TLP'Verify Fix Applied:
Verify TLP version is 1.9.1 or later: tlp-stat -v | grep 'TLP' and check that version is >= 1.9.1.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unauthorized changes to /etc/tlp.conf
- Polkit authentication failures for TLP actions
- Unexpected power profile changes in system logs
Network Indicators:
- None - this is a local vulnerability
SIEM Query:
Search for: 'tlp' AND ('authentication failed' OR 'permission denied') in polkit/system logs