CVE-2025-64517

MEDIUM
Published Nov 12, 2025 Modified Apr 15, 2026 CWE-287

Description

sudo-rs is a memory safe implementation of sudo and su written in Rust. With `Defaults targetpw` (or `Defaults rootpw`) enabled, the password of the target account (or root account) instead of the invoking user is used for authentication. sudo-rs starting in version 0.2.5 and prior to version 0.2.10 incorrectly recorded the invoking user’s UID instead of the authenticated-as user's UID in the authentication timestamp. Any later `sudo` invocation on the same terminal while the timestamp was still valid would use that timestamp, potentially bypassing new authentication even if the policy would have required it. A highly-privileged user (able to run commands as other users, or as root, through sudo) who knows one password of an account they are allowed to run commands as, would be able to run commands as any other account the policy permits them to run commands for, even if they don't know the password for those accounts. A common instance of this would be that a user can still use their own password to run commands as root (the default behaviour of `sudo`), effectively negating the intended behaviour of the `targetpw` or `rootpw` options. Version 0.2.10 contains a patch for the issue. Versions prior to 0.2.5 are not affected, since they do not offer `Defaults targetpw` or `Defaults rootpw`.

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CVSS v3.1 Score

4.4
MEDIUM
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N

Weakness Type (CWE)

CWE-287 Improper Authentication

References

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2025-64517? +
sudo-rs is a memory safe implementation of sudo and su written in Rust. With `Defaults targetpw` (or `Defaults rootpw`) enabled, the password of the target account (or root account) instead of the invoking user is used for authentication. sudo-rs starting in version 0.2.5 and prior to version 0.2.10 incorrectly recorded the invoking user’s UID instead of the authenticated-as user's UID in the authentication timestamp. Any later `sudo` invocation on the same terminal while the timestamp was still valid would use that timestamp, potentially bypassing new authentication even if the policy would have required it. A highly-privileged user (able to run commands as other users, or as root, through sudo) who knows one password of an account they are allowed to run commands as, would be able to run commands as any other account the policy permits them to run commands for, even if they don't know the password for those accounts. A common instance of this would be that a user can still use their own password to run commands as root (the default behaviour of `sudo`), effectively negating the intended behaviour of the `targetpw` or `rootpw` options. Version 0.2.10 contains a patch for the issue. Versions prior to 0.2.5 are not affected, since they do not offer `Defaults targetpw` or `Defaults rootpw`. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 4.4 (MEDIUM).
How severe is CVE-2025-64517? +
CVE-2025-64517 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 4.4 out of 10, rated MEDIUM. This is a medium-severity vulnerability that should be remediated as part of regular maintenance.
How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2025-64517? +
You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

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