# CVE-2025-53391: Privilege escalation in zulucrypt

> Local attackers can escalate privileges to root due to insecure PolicyKit settings in zuluCrypt.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.3 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **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:** 28 Jun 2025
- **Updated:** 30 Jun 2025
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2025-53391, GHSA-33qm-768m-wx8p, UBUNTU-CVE-2025-53391, USN-8218-1

## What is CVE-2025-53391?

CVE-2025-53391 is a critical vulnerability in Debian zulucrypt, published on 28 Jun 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The Debian zuluPolkit/CMakeLists.txt file for zuluCrypt through the zulucrypt_6.2.0-1 package has insecure PolicyKit allow_any/allow_inactive/allow_active settings that allow a local user to escalate their privileges to root.

Weakness: CWE-863 (Incorrect Authorization)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-53391?


## How do I fix CVE-2025-53391?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2025-53391 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2025-53391 exists.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-53391 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-53391 is a critical vulnerability in Debian zulucrypt, published on 28 Jun 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-2025-53391 exists.

Affected product: Debian zulucrypt. 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-2025-53391/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-53391/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-53391
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-53391
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-53391

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-53391/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.