CVE-2025-20386
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 · uneditedIn Splunk Enterprise for Windows versions below 10.0.2, 9.4.6, 9.3.8, and 9.2.10, a new installation of or an upgrade to an affected version can result in incorrect permissions assignment in the Splunk Enterprise for Windows Installation directory. This lets non-administrator users on the machine access the directory and all its contents.
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 confidenceDuring new installation or upgrade of Splunk Enterprise for Windows to affected versions (below 10.0.2, 9.4.6, 9.3.8, or 9.2.10), incorrect NTFS permissions are assigned to the installation directory, allowing non-administrator local users full access to read and potentially modify contents within the Splunk installation directory.
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>= 9.2.0, < 9.2.10>= 9.3.0, < 9.3.8>= 9.4.0, < 9.4.6>= 10.0.0, < 10.0.2CVSS 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
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
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.
-
Verify Splunk is installed on WindowsCheck if Splunk Enterprise is running on a Windows host. On Windows, the Splunk installation directory is typically at C:\Program Files\Splunk or C:\Program Files (x86)\Splunk. Confirm the operating system is Windows, as this vulnerability only affects Windows installations.Affected if Splunk Enterprise is running on Windows operating system
-
Determine installed Splunk versionOn Windows, open Command Prompt or PowerShell and run: reg query 'HKLM\SOFTWARE\Splunk\Splunk' /v version or check the version file at %SPLUNK_HOME%\etc\splunk.version. Alternatively, access Splunk Web and navigate to Settings > About Splunk Enterprise to view the version.Affected if Version falls within affected ranges: 9.2.0-9.2.9, 9.3.0-9.3.7, 9.4.0-9.4.5, or 10.0.0-10.0.1
-
Identify Splunk installation directoryRun the following command in Command Prompt: echo %SPLUNK_HOME% or check the registry key at HKLM\SOFTWARE\Splunk\Splunk for the InstallPath value. This directory is where Splunk Enterprise is installed.Affected if Installation directory path is identified for permission checking
-
Check NTFS permissions on installation directoryOpen Command Prompt as Administrator and run: icacls 'C:\Program Files\Splunk' (or your actual installation path). Review the output to see which users and groups have access permissions. Look for entries like Users, Everyone, orAuthenticated Users that may have Full Control, Modify, or Read & Execute permissions.Affected if Non-administrator users (such as Users, Everyone, or Authenticated Users) have Full Control, Modify, or Read & Execute permissions on the Splunk installation directory
A Windows host running Splunk Enterprise version 9.2.0-9.2.9, 9.3.0-9.3.7, 9.4.0-9.4.5, or 10.0.0-10.0.1 where non-administrator local users have excessive NTFS permissions on the installation directory is affected by this CVE.
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 · scoped9.2.109.3.89.4.6
Upgrade Splunk Enterprise for Windows to version 10.0.2, 9.4.6, 9.3.8, or 9.2.10 or later, or manually restrict NTFS permissions on the installation directory to administrators only.
Upgrade to 9.2.10, 9.3.8, 9.4.6, or 10.0.2 (depending on your current major version branch)
- 1. Identify your current Splunk Enterprise version by checking the About page in Splunk Web or running 'splunk --version' from command line
- 2. Choose the appropriate upgrade path based on your current major version: 9.2.x users upgrade to 9.2.10, 9.3.x users upgrade to 9.3.8, 9.4.x users upgrade to 9.4.6, 10.0.x users upgrade to 10.0.2
- 3. Review Splunk's official upgrade documentation for your version to ensure environment compatibility
- 4. Perform a full backup of Splunk configuration ($SPLUNK_HOME/etc) and any critical data indexes
- 5. Download the fixed version installer from splunk.com
- 6. Stop the Splunk service: splunk stop
- 7. Run the installer for the fixed version
- 8. Start Splunk: splunk start
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 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 $2,560.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-20386 — 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-2025-20386 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
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- 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