CVE-2025-65842 json
The Aquarius HelperTool (1.0.003) privileged XPC service on macOS contains multiple flaws that allow local privilege escalation.
published 2025-12-03 11 mo ago modified 2026-11-04 4 d ago also EUVD-2025-200990
- cvss
- 5.1
- version 3.1, CNA
- cisa kev
- Not listed
- not in CISA's catalog
- epss
- 0.2%
- EPSS 0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days, percentile 7%
- public exploits
- 0
- none known
Summary
The Aquarius HelperTool (1.0.003) privileged XPC service on macOS contains multiple flaws that allow local privilege escalation. The service accepts XPC connections from any local process without validating the client's identity, and its authorization logic incorrectly calls AuthorizationCopyRights with a NULL reference, causing all authorization checks to succeed. The executeCommand:authorization:withReply: method then interpolates attacker-controlled input into NSTask and executes it with root privileges. A local attacker can exploit these weaknesses to run arbitrary commands as root, create persistent backdoors, or obtain a fully interactive root shell.
CISA SSVC
- Exploitation
- Proof of concept is public
- Automatable
- no
- Technical impact
- total
- Assessed
- 11 mo ago
Exploit prediction
0.18% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 7% of all scored CVEs (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-08).
Exploits and checks
- almightysec.com https://almightysec.com/helpertool-xpc-service-local-privilege-escalation/ referenced PoC, tagged "exploit" by a source, unverified
CVSS scores
| assigned by | version | score | vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| CISA ADP | 3.1 | 5.1 | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N |
| CNA | 3.1 | 5.1 | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N |
Classification
- Weakness
-
- CWE-266 Incorrect Privilege Assignment
References
-
almightysec.com
/helpertool-xpc-service-local-privilege-escalation/
exploit, third-party-advisory
Sources
- CVE List CVE-2025-65842
- NVD CVE-2025-65842
Fencer Vulns keeps one entry per vulnerability: the CVE id wins, then GHSA, and records that alias each other are merged, except that two CVEs always keep separate entries. The same data is available as JSON.