CVE-2025-8614
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 · uneditedNoMachine Uncontrolled Search Path Element Local Privilege Escalation Vulnerability. This vulnerability allows local attackers to escalate privileges on affected installations of NoMachine. An attacker must first obtain the ability to execute low-privileged code on the target system in order to exploit this vulnerability. The specific flaw exists within the configuration of OpenSSL. The product loads an OpenSSL configuration file from an unsecured location. An attacker can leverage this vulnerability to escalate privileges and execute arbitrary code in the context of the service account. Was ZDI-CAN-26766.
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 confidenceNoMachine loads its OpenSSL configuration file from an unsecured location, allowing a local attacker with low-privileged code execution to place a malicious config file in the search path. When the NoMachine service loads this crafted config, it executes within the service account context, enabling privilege escalation to the service user's 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< 8.17.2>= 9.0, < 9.1.24CVSS 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:3.0/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify NoMachine versionUse the system's package manager or NoMachine's built-in version command to determine the installed version (for example, 'nxserver --version' or check the package database)Affected if The installed version is less than 8.17.2, or is 9.0 through 9.1.23 (inclusive)
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Confirm NoMachine service is runningCheck if the NoMachine service or daemon process is currently active on the system using process listing tools (for example, 'ps aux' or service status commands)Affected if The NoMachine service is running and the version is in the affected range
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Identify OpenSSL config file search pathDetermine the OpenSSL configuration file search path used by the system (check OpenSSL documentation for default paths, which typically include the current working directory and standard config directories)Affected if Any directory in the search path is writable by low-privileged users
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Check for unauthorized OpenSSL config filesInspect the OpenSSL config search path directories for any unexpected or recently created config files (for example, openssl.cnf) that could have been placed by an attackerAffected if Suspicious config files exist in directories that are writable by non-root users
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Verify permissions on OpenSSL search path directoriesReview file system permissions on directories in the OpenSSL config search path to confirm they are not world-writable or group-writable by low-privilege usersAffected if One or more directories in the search path allow write access to unprivileged users
You are affected if NoMachine version is less than 8.17.2 or between 9.0 and 9.1.23 inclusive, the NoMachine service is running, and directories in the OpenSSL config search path are writable by low-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 · scoped8.17.29.1.24
Restrict write permissions on directories in the OpenSSL search path to prevent unauthorized config file placement; apply vendor patch when available; run NoMachine service with minimal required privileges.
NoMachine 8.17.2 or later for 8.x branch; NoMachine 9.1.24 or later for 9.x branch
- Verify current installed NoMachine version using 'nxsoftwareversion' command or checking /usr/NX/etc/server.cfg
- Stop NoMachine service using 'sudo /usr/NX/bin/nxserver --stop'
- Backup the NoMachine configuration directory at /usr/NX/etc/
- For systems running NoMachine 8.x: Upgrade to version 8.17.2 or later by downloading from https://www.nomachine.com/download
- For systems running NoMachine 9.x: Upgrade to version 9.1.24 or later by downloading from https://www.nomachine.com/download
- Install the new package using the appropriate package manager (dpkg -i for .deb or rpm -i for .rpm)
- Start NoMachine service using 'sudo /usr/NX/bin/nxserver --start'
- Verify the new version is installed with 'nxsoftwareversion'
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation6.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-8614 — 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-2025-8614 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
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