# CVE-2025-0131: GlobalProtect App: Incorrect Privilege Management Vulnerability in OPSWAT MetaDefender Endpoint Security SDK

> A local non-admin user can escalate privileges to SYSTEM via a race condition in the GlobalProtect app's embedded SDK.

- **Severity:** High 7.1 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:H/VA:N/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H/AU:N/R:U/V:D/U:Amber`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 14 May 2025
- **Updated:** 26 Feb 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-78rr-5vrh-jhqh

## What is CVE-2025-0131?

CVE-2025-0131 is a high-severity vulnerability in OPSWAT MetaDefender Endpoint Security SDK, published on 14 May 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

An incorrect privilege management vulnerability in the OPSWAT MetaDefender Endpoint Security SDK used by the Palo Alto Networks GlobalProtect™ app on Windows devices allows a locally authenticated non-administrative Windows user to escalate their privileges to NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM. However, execution requires that the local user also successfully exploits a race condition, which makes this vulnerability difficult to exploit.

Weakness: CWE-266 (Incorrect Privilege Assignment)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-0131?


## How do I fix CVE-2025-0131?

No fix has been published for CVE-2025-0131 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2025-0131 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-0131 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-0131 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-0131 is a high-severity vulnerability in OPSWAT MetaDefender Endpoint Security SDK, published on 14 May 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-0131 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: OPSWAT MetaDefender Endpoint Security SDK. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-0131/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-0131/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-0131
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-0131
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-0131

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-0131/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.