# CVE-2025-54595: Pearcleaner's unauthenticated access to privileged XPC helper allows root command execution

> An unauthenticated XPC service in Pearcleaner allows local attackers to execute arbitrary shell commands as root, enabling privilege escalation.

- **Severity:** High 7.3 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/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:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 1 Aug 2025
- **Updated:** 1 Aug 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-gr2j-65fh-8pvc

## What is CVE-2025-54595?

CVE-2025-54595 is a high-severity command injection vulnerability in alienator88 Pearcleaner, published on 1 Aug 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

Pearcleaner is a free, source-available and fair-code licensed mac app cleaner. The PearcleanerHelper is a privileged helper tool bundled with the Pearcleaner application. It is registered and activated only after the user approves a system prompt to allow privileged operations. Upon approval, the helper is configured as a LaunchDaemon and runs with root privileges. In versions 4.4.0 through 4.5.1, the helper registers an XPC service (com.alienator88.Pearcleaner.PearcleanerHelper) and accepts unauthenticated connections from any local process. It exposes a method that executes arbitrary shell commands. This allows any local unprivileged user to escalate privileges to root once the helper is approved and active. This issue is fixed in version 4.5.2.

Weakness: CWE-78 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command), CWE-269 (Improper Privilege Management)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-54595?


## How do I fix CVE-2025-54595?

No fix has been published for CVE-2025-54595 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2025-54595 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2025-54595 exists.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-54595 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-54595 is a high-severity command injection vulnerability in alienator88 Pearcleaner, published on 1 Aug 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, 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-2025-54595 exists.

Affected product: alienator88 Pearcleaner. 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-2025-54595/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-54595/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-54595
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-54595
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-54595

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-54595/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.