CVE-2025-69194
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 security issue was discovered in GNU Wget2 when handling Metalink documents. The application fails to properly validate file paths provided in Metalink <file name> elements. An attacker can abuse this behavior to write files to unintended locations on the system. This can lead to data loss or potentially allow further compromise of the user’s environment.
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 confidenceGNU Wget2 fails to validate file paths in Metalink <file name> elements, allowing an attacker to specify arbitrary file paths and write files outside the intended download directory through specially crafted Metalink documents.
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< 2.2.1CVSS 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 Wget2 versionRun `wget2 --version` or `wget --version` to determine the installed version numberAffected if The version shown is earlier than 2.2.1 (e.g., 2.2.0, 2.1.x, etc.)
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Verify Metalink file processing is in useLook for Metalink (.metalink) files in your download workflows, or check command history for wget2 commands that reference Metalink files using --metalink or similar optionsAffected if Wget2 is actively processing Metalink files from any source
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Check for recent Metalink downloadsInspect download directories and history for .metalink files that may have been processed by wget2Affected if Metalink files have been downloaded and processed by Wget2 in the past
You are affected if Wget2 version is earlier than 2.2.1 AND you process Metalink files from potentially untrusted sources.
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 · scoped2.2.1
Avoid Metalink files from untrusted sources; update to the patched Wget2 version when available; consider restricting Wget2 to run in isolated directories.
Wget2 2.2.1
- Check current Wget2 version by running: wget2 --version
- Download Wget2 version 2.2.1 or later from the official GNU Wget distribution (https://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/wget/)
- Extract the downloaded archive: tar -xzf wget-2.2.1.tar.gz
- Navigate to the extracted directory: cd wget-2.2.1
- Configure the build: ./configure
- Compile the software: make
- Install the updated version: make install
- Verify the installation by checking the new version: wget2 --version
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 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 $4,480.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-69194 — 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-2025-69194 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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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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