OpenvpnApplication
CVE-2024-27903
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedOpenVPN plug-ins on Windows with OpenVPN 2.6.9 and earlier could be loaded from any directory, which allows an attacker to load an arbitrary plug-in which can be used to interact with the privileged OpenVPN interactive service.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceOpenVPN for Windows versions 2.6.9 and earlier allow loading plugins from any directory rather than restricting to trusted locations. This enables an attacker who can place a malicious plugin file in any accessible directory to have it loaded by the privileged OpenVPN interactive service, potentially executing code with elevated Windows privileges.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data
OpenvpnApplication
< 2.5.10>= 2.6.0, < 2.6.10CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check installed OpenVPN version on WindowsRun 'openvpn --version' from the OpenVPN bin directory (typically C:\Program Files\OpenVPN\bin\openvpn.exe --version) or check the installed version via Windows Programs and FeaturesAffected if The version shown is earlier than 2.5.10, or falls between 2.6.0 and 2.6.9 (inclusive)
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Identify OpenVPN configuration files using pluginsSearch all .ovpn configuration files in the config directory (typically C:\Program Files\OpenVPN\config or C:\ProgramData\OpenVPN\config) for lines containing the 'plugin' directiveAffected if Any .ovpn file contains a 'plugin' directive that loads a DLL from a writable directory
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Verify plugin file location and permissionsFor each plugin directive found, examine the path specified for the DLL file and check file system permissions to determine if non-admin users can write to that directoryAffected if The plugin DLL is located in a directory writable by non-privileged users, or the DLL itself is writable
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Check for writable directories accessible to non-admin usersReview directory permissions on the OpenVPN config folder and any subdirectories, identifying any locations where an unprivileged user could place new filesAffected if Non-admin users have Write or Modify permissions on any directory from which OpenVPN could load plugin DLLs
A system is affected if it runs a vulnerable OpenVPN version (below 2.5.10 or between 2.6.0-2.6.9) AND has any plugin configuration pointing to a DLL in a directory writable by non-privileged users.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
dbcve · scoped2.5.102.6.10
Upgrade to OpenVPN 2.6.10 or later which restricts plugin loading to secure directories. Additionally, ensure strict file system permissions on directories writable by non-admin users to prevent placement of malicious plugin files.
OpenVPN 2.5.10 or later, or OpenVPN 2.6.10 or later
- 1. Check the currently installed OpenVPN version by running `openvpn --version` or checking Add/Remove Programs
- 2. If the installed version is less than 2.5.10, or between 2.6.0 and 2.6.9 inclusive, download OpenVPN 2.5.10 or a later 2.5.x release from the official OpenVPN download page (openvpn.net)
- 3. Alternatively, if upgrading to the 2.6.x branch is preferred, download version 2.6.10 or later
- 4. Install the new OpenVPN version, ensuring to run the installer with appropriate privileges
- 5. After installation, verify the fix by checking the version with `openvpn --version` to confirm the installed version is 2.5.10+ or 2.6.10+
- 6. Test that existing VPN connections continue to work properly after the upgrade
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Fix this in Openvpn
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation2.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,984.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2024-27903 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2024-27903 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data