# CVE-2025-59697: Privilege escalation in n/a

> A physically proximate attacker can escalate privileges to root by editing the GRUB bootloader configuration on nShield HSM devices.

- **Severity:** High 7.2 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:P/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 2 Dec 2025
- **Updated:** 26 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-c2xm-xv33-q796

## What is CVE-2025-59697?

CVE-2025-59697 is a high-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 2 Dec 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Entrust nShield Connect XC, nShield 5c, and nShield HSMi through 13.6.11, or 13.7 (patched in 13.6.12 (LTS) and 13.9.0 (STS)), allow a physically proximate attacker to escalate privileges by editing the Legacy GRUB bootloader configuration to start a root shell upon boot of the host OS. This is called F06.

Weakness: CWE-284 (Improper Access Control), CWE-269 (Improper Privilege Management)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-59697?

It affects 5 products.


Products: Entrust Nshield 5c Firmware, Entrust Nshield Connect Xc Base Firmware, Entrust Nshield Connect Xc High Firmware, Entrust Nshield Connect Xc Mid Firmware, Entrust Nshield Hsmi Firmware.

## How do I fix CVE-2025-59697?

No fix has been published for CVE-2025-59697 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2025-59697 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2025-59697 exists.

## Other vulnerabilities in n/a

- [CVE-2025-59693](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-59693/): Security feature bypass in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2025-59695](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-59695/): Entrust nShield Connect XC, nShield 5c, and nShield HSMi through 13.6.11, or 13.7 (patched in 13.6.12 (LTS) and 13.9.0 (STS)), allow a user (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2025-59703](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-59703/): Security feature bypass in n/a (critical 9.1)
- [CVE-2025-59704](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-59704/): Auth bypass in n/a (high 7.8)
- [CVE-2025-59702](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-59702/): Security feature bypass in n/a (high 7.2)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-59697 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-59697 is a high-severity vulnerability in n/a, published on 2 Dec 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-2025-59697 exists.

Affected product: n/a. 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-2025-59697/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-59697/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-59697
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-59697
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-59697

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-59697/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.