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RuntimeApplication · Jetbrains

CVE-2025-29903

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-03-12
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 21.0.6b872.80 or later.
See remediation →
80/100
Remediation priority · High
Zero-click

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 · unedited
In JetBrains Runtime before 21.0.6b872.80 arbitrary dynamic library execution due to insecure macOS flags was possible

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 · moderate confidence

JetBrains Runtime before version 21.0.6b872.80 contains insecure macOS flags that allow arbitrary dynamic library execution, potentially enabling local privilege escalation. The vulnerability stems from improper configuration of dynamic library loading paths or flags on macOS systems.

MitigationUpgrade JetBrains Runtime to version 21.0.6b872.80 or later to resolve the insecure macOS flags configuration.

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
RuntimeApplication
Affected:< 21.0.6b872.80

CVSS 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
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify JetBrains Runtime installation location
    Locate the JetBrains Runtime bundle. Common paths include: /Applications/IntelliJ*/JetBrains Runtime*.app/Contents/Info.plist, or check within the IDE's installation directory under /Contents/jbr/. Use 'find /Applications -name "*JetBrains Runtime*" -o -name "jbr"' to discover installations.
    Affected if No JetBrains Runtime installation is found (not affected). If found, proceed to version check.
  2. Determine installed JetBrains Runtime version
    Find the version by checking the Info.plist within the JetBrains Runtime app bundle (CFBundleVersion), or look for a 'release' file in the JBR home directory. Alternatively, run: '/path/to/JetBrains\ Runtime/bin/java -version' to see version output.
    Affected if Installed version is less than 21.0.6b872.80, indicating potential vulnerability. If version is 21.0.6b872.80 or higher, the environment is likely not affected.
  3. Confirm operating system is macOS
    Run 'uname -s' or check system profiler to verify the OS. This vulnerability specifically affects macOS due to insecure dyld configuration flags.
    Affected if Running on macOS. If running Linux or Windows, this specific vulnerability does not apply.
  4. Inspect JVM startup flags for insecure dyld settings
    Examine the IDE or Java application startup scripts and configuration files for flags such as DYLD_INSERT_LIBRARIES, DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH, or similar dyld environment variable configurations. Check .vmoptions files and any scripts that launch the JetBrains Runtime.
    Affected if DYLD_INSERT_LIBRARIES or DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH is set to allow arbitrary library loading without restriction, indicating the vulnerable configuration exists.

The environment is affected if JetBrains Runtime version is below 21.0.6b872.80, the system is macOS, and insecure dyld flags or environment variables that permit arbitrary dynamic library loading are configured.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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 · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 21.0.6b872.80 or later
Fixed in 21.0.6b872.80
Interim mitigation

Upgrade JetBrains Runtime to version 21.0.6b872.80 or later to resolve the insecure macOS flags configuration.

Recommended fix High confidence

21.0.6b872.80

  1. Identify the JetBrains Runtime installation location in your environment (check IDE configuration or system PATH)
  2. Navigate to the JetBrains website or official download page for JetBrains Runtime
  3. Download version 21.0.6b872.80 or later for your operating system (macOS)
  4. Backup your current JetBrains Runtime installation
  5. Install the new version, replacing the vulnerable version
  6. Restart any running JetBrains IDEs or applications using the runtime
  7. Verify the installed version matches or exceeds 21.0.6b872.80 by running: java -version or checking the runtime build information
Caveat Major version upgrades of JDK-based runtimes may introduce compatibility changes with existing applications; test thoroughly before production deployment

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Runtime Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
20.0 hours of engineering $3,440
Get the upgrade done

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2025-29903 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

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.

What belongs here
  • 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