# CVE-2025-32438: Local privilege escalation in make-initrd-ng

> Local attackers can escalate privileges to root by creating a program executed during system shutdown in NixOS.

- **Severity:** High 8.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A: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:** 15 Apr 2025
- **Updated:** 15 Apr 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-m7pq-h9p4-8rr4

## What is CVE-2025-32438?

CVE-2025-32438 is a high-severity vulnerability in NixOS nixpkgs, published on 15 Apr 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

make-initrd-ng is a tool for copying binaries and their dependencies. Local privilege escalation affecting all NixOS users. With systemd.shutdownRamfs.enable enabled (the default) a local user is able to create a program that will be executed by root during shutdown. Patches exist for NixOS 24.11 and 25.05 / unstable. As a workaround, set systemd.shutdownRamfs.enable = false;.

Weakness: CWE-379 (Creation of Temporary File in Directory with Insecure Permissions), CWE-378 (Creation of Temporary File With Insecure Permissions)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-32438?


## How do I fix CVE-2025-32438?

No fix has been published for CVE-2025-32438 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2025-32438 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-32438 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-32438 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-32438 is a high-severity vulnerability in NixOS nixpkgs, published on 15 Apr 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-2025-32438 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: NixOS nixpkgs. 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-2025-32438/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-32438/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-32438
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-32438
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-32438

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-32438/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.