CVE-2025-20298

Incorrect permission assignment on Universal Forwarder for Windows during new installation or upgrade

HIGH

CVSS Score

Published: June 2, 2025 at 05:14 PM UTC

Updated: June 17, 2026 at 08:41 AM UTC

1 product affected across 1 vendorUniversal Forwarder· also runs on 1 platform

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Severity

HIGH8

Exploit prediction

EPSS 0.3%

SSVC

No known exploit

Description

In Universal Forwarder for Windows versions below 9.4.2, 9.3.4, 9.2.6, and 9.1.9, a new installation of or an upgrade to an affected version can result in incorrect permissions assignment in the Universal Forwarder for Windows Installation directory (by default, C:\Program Files\SplunkUniversalForwarder). This lets non-administrator users on the machine access the directory and all its contents.

Affected

Our own answer: ranges merged, affected separated from platform-only, with confidence and review flags.

Universal Forwarder · Splunk

95%

9.1 ≤ v < 9.1.99.1.0 ≤ v < 9.1.99.2 ≤ v < 9.2.69.2.0 ≤ v < 9.2.69.3 ≤ v < 9.3.49.3.0 ≤ v < 9.3.49.4 ≤ v < 9.4.29.4.0 ≤ v < 9.4.29.1 9.2 9.3 9.4

Affected range stops below 9.1.9, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement

Affected range stops below 9.2.6, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement

Affected range stops below 9.3.4, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement

Affected range stops below 9.4.2, so it looks safe — our inference, not a vendor statement

microsoft-windows (environment)

Runs on — not affected

The affected product only carries this flaw when running on these platforms. The platforms themselves are not vulnerable.

Windows · Microsoft

95%

Remediation

No guide yet

No remediation guidance has been written for this CVE yet. What the record does show:

Patch and advisory references

https://advisory.splunk.com/advisories/SVD-2025-0602

References (1)

Vendor Advisory

Source: [email protected]

https://advisory.splunk.com/advisories/SVD-2025-0602

SSVC — Action Prioritization

SSVCNo known exploitNot automatableTotal impact

SSVC signals action urgency (what to patch first), separate from CVSS which measures severity.

CVSS

8HIGHcisco

Vector?

Quick Info

StatusANALYZED

CWE

CWE-732

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