Local Privilege Escalation via qagent_uninstall.sh Qualys Cloud Agents
Vulnerability Description
The Qualys Cloud Agent included a bundled uninstall script (qagent_uninstall.sh), specific to Mac and Linux supported versions that invoked multiple system commands without using absolute paths and without sanitizing the $PATH environment. If the uninstall script is executed with elevated privileges (e.g., via sudo) in an environment where $PATH has been manipulated, an attacker with root/sudo privileges could cause malicious executables to be run in place of the intended system binaries. This behavior can be leveraged for local privilege escalation and arbitrary command execution under elevated privileges.
Impact Analysis
Refer to official advisory for detailed impact metrics.
Remediation
Ensure systems are updated to the latest vendor-supplied patch levels.
Am I Vulnerable?
Launch our assessment wizard to check if your infrastructure is exposed to • CVE-2025-43079
Credits & Attribution
The following person or organization is credited with identifying this vulnerability, as recorded in the NVD database:
- Brent Zaltsman (AfricanHipp0)
Affected Vendor
Qualys Inc
View all reports →