# CVE-2025-21606: Local Privilege Escalation via Exposed XPC Method Due to Client Verification Failure in stats

> Local attackers can escalate privileges to root by connecting to an unverified XPC service in the Stats macOS application.

- **Severity:** High 8.7 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 17 Jan 2025
- **Updated:** 12 Feb 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-qwhf-px96-7f6v

## What is CVE-2025-21606?

CVE-2025-21606 is a high-severity missing authorization vulnerability in exelban stats, published on 17 Jan 2025. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

stats is a macOS system monitor in for the menu bar. The Stats application is vulnerable to a local privilege escalation due to the insecure implementation of its XPC service. The application registers a Mach service under the name `eu.exelban.Stats.SMC.Helper`. The associated binary, eu.exelban.Stats.SMC.Helper, is a privileged helper tool designed to execute actions requiring elevated privileges on behalf of the client, such as setting fan modes, adjusting fan speeds, and executing the `powermetrics` command. The root cause of this vulnerability lies in the `shouldAcceptNewConnection` method, which unconditionally returns YES (or true), allowing any XPC client to connect to the service without any form of verification. As a result, unauthorized clients can establish a connection to the Mach service and invoke methods exposed by the HelperTool interface. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability to modify the hardware settings of the user’s device and execute arbitrary code with root privileges. This issue has been addressed in version 2.11.21 and all users are advised to upgrade. There are no known workarounds for this vulnerability.

Weakness: CWE-345 (Insufficient Verification of Data Authenticity)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-21606?


## How do I fix CVE-2025-21606?

No fix has been published for CVE-2025-21606 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2025-21606 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2025-21606 exists.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-21606 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-21606 is a high-severity missing authorization vulnerability in exelban stats, published on 17 Jan 2025. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2025-21606 exists.

Affected product: exelban stats. 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-2025-21606/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-21606/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-21606
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-21606
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-21606

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-21606/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.