# CVE-2025-11462: Local Privilege Escalation Vulnerability in AWS Client VPN macOS Client

> A local user can escalate privileges to root via symlink attacks during log rotation in the AWS Client VPN macOS application.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.3 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H`)
- **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:** 7 Oct 2025
- **Updated:** 26 Feb 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-v9x5-mfpj-jr3h

## What is CVE-2025-11462?

CVE-2025-11462 is a critical vulnerability in AWS Client VPN, published on 7 Oct 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Improper Link Resolution Before File Access in the AWS VPN Client for macOS versions 1.3.2- 5.2.0 allows a local user to execute code with elevated privileges. Insufficient validation checks on the log destination directory during log rotation could allow a non-administrator user to create a symlink from a client log file to a privileged location. On log rotation, this could lead to code execution with root privileges if the user made crafted API calls which injected arbitrary code into the log file. We recommend users upgrade to AWS VPN Client for macOS 5.2.1 or the latest version.

Weakness: CWE-59 (Improper Link Resolution Before File Access)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-11462?


## How do I fix CVE-2025-11462?

No fix has been published for CVE-2025-11462 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2025-11462 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-11462 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-11462 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-11462 is a critical vulnerability in AWS Client VPN, published on 7 Oct 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-2025-11462 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: AWS Client VPN. 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-2025-11462/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-11462/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-11462
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-11462
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-11462

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-11462/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.