# CVE-2025-3908: Path traversal in OpenVPN 3 Linux

> A local attacker can exploit symlink handling in the configuration tool to change ownership and permissions of arbitrary directories, leading to privilege escalation.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.2 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 19 May 2025
- **Updated:** 20 May 2025
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2025-3908, GHSA-fp2g-4h6f-28h2, UBUNTU-CVE-2025-3908

## What is CVE-2025-3908?

CVE-2025-3908 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in OpenVPN 3 Linux, published on 19 May 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The configuration initialization tool in OpenVPN 3 Linux v20 through v24 on Linux allows a local attacker to use symlinks pointing at an arbitrary directory which will change the ownership and permissions of that destination directory.

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

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-3908?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Openvpn Openvpn3linux.

## How do I fix CVE-2025-3908?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2025-3908 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-3908 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-3908 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-3908 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in OpenVPN 3 Linux, published on 19 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-2025-3908 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: OpenVPN 3 Linux. 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-2025-3908/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-3908/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-3908
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-3908
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-3908

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-3908/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.