# CVE-2025-34078: NSClient++ 0.5.2.35 Local Privilege Escalation via ExternalScripts and Web Interface

> Local attackers can escalate privileges to SYSTEM by extracting plaintext admin credentials from the config file and abusing the ExternalScripts feature.

- **Severity:** High 7.3 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N`)
- **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:** 2 Jul 2025
- **Updated:** 7 Apr 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-jr25-22p3-gm6r

## What is CVE-2025-34078?

CVE-2025-34078 is a high-severity vulnerability in NSClient++, published on 2 Jul 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

A local privilege escalation vulnerability exists in NSClient++ 0.5.2.35 when both the web interface and ExternalScripts features are enabled. The configuration file (nsclient.ini) stores the administrative password in plaintext and is readable by local users. By extracting this password, an attacker can authenticate to the NSClient++ web interface (typically accessible on port 8443) and abuse the ExternalScripts plugin to inject and execute arbitrary commands as SYSTEM by registering a custom script, saving the configuration, and triggering it via the API.

This behavior is documented but insecure, as the plaintext credential exposure undermines access isolation between local users and administrative functions.

Weakness: CWE-522 (Insufficiently Protected Credentials)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-34078?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Nsclient Nsclient\+\+.

## How do I fix CVE-2025-34078?

No fix has been published for CVE-2025-34078 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2025-34078 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2025-34078 exists.

Public exploit code:

- NSClient++ 0.5.2.35 - Privilege escalation (metasploit)

## Other vulnerabilities in NSClient++

- [CVE-2018-6384](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-6384/): Privilege escalation in n/a (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2025-34079](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-34079/): NSClient++ Authenticated Remote Code Execution via ExternalScripts API (high 7.5)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-34078 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-34078 is a high-severity vulnerability in NSClient++, published on 2 Jul 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2025-34078 exists.

Affected product: NSClient++. 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-2025-34078/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-34078/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-34078
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-34078
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-34078

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-34078/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.