CVE-2025-5459
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 · uneditedA user with specific node group editing permissions and a specially crafted class parameter could be used to execute commands as root on the primary host. It affects Puppet Enterprise versions 2018.1.8 through 2023.8.3 and 2025.3 and has been resolved in versions 2023.8.4 and 2025.4.0.
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 confidenceThis is a privilege escalation vulnerability in Puppet Enterprise where a user with specific node group editing permissions can inject specially crafted class parameters to achieve root-level command execution on the primary host. The attack leverages the class parameter functionality in node groups to escape intended sandboxing and execute arbitrary commands with root 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>= 2018.1.8, < 2023.8.4= 2025.3.0CVSS 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
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check Puppet Enterprise versionRun `puppet --version` or use the PE console status page to identify the installed Puppet Enterprise versionAffected if The installed version is 2018.1.8 or later but earlier than 2023.8.4, OR exactly 2025.3.0
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Identify users with node group editing permissionsReview RBAC (Role-Based Access Control) settings in the Puppet Enterprise console under User permissions or examine the `console.conf` and classification configuration for node group editor rolesAffected if Any user account besides the primary administrator has been granted node group editor or classification editor permissions
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Audit node group class parametersNavigate to the PE console Node Groups section and inspect all class parameters defined in each node group, particularly looking for parameters containing shell escape sequences, command substitutions, or unusual file pathsAffected if Any node group contains class parameter values that include characters such as `$(`, backticks, `;`, pipe symbols, or other command injection patterns
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Review recent node group modification logsCheck the Puppet Enterprise activity logs, classification history, or audit logs for recent changes to node groups, focusing on entries that modified class parametersAffected if Node group modifications were made recently by non-administrator accounts, especially modifications to class parameters
You are affected if your Puppet Enterprise version falls within 2018.1.8 through 2023.8.3 or is exactly 2025.3.0 AND any user has node group editing permissions beyond the primary administrator account.
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 · scoped2023.8.4
Upgrade Puppet Enterprise to version 2023.8.4 or 2025.4.0. Review node group permissions and audit user accounts with editing capabilities until the upgrade is completed.
Puppet Enterprise 2023.8.4 or later (2025.4.0+ for 2025.x users)
- Identify the current Puppet Enterprise version by checking the console or running 'puppetserver --version'
- If running version 2018.1.8 through 2023.8.3, plan an upgrade to version 2023.8.4
- If running version 2025.3.0, plan an upgrade to version 2025.4.0
- Review Puppet Enterprise upgrade documentation for your current version
- Backup the Puppet Enterprise database and configuration files before upgrading
- Perform the upgrade following the official Puppet Enterprise upgrade guide
- After upgrade, verify that Puppet Enterprise services are running and the console is accessible
- Confirm the version has been updated by checking 'puppetserver --version'
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $5,120.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-5459 — 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-2025-5459 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
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