Overview
CVE-2025-62686 describes a local privilege escalation vulnerability found in the Plugin Alliance InstallationHelper service, which is bundled with Plugin Alliance Installation Manager version 1.4.0 on macOS. This vulnerability allows a malicious local user to potentially gain elevated privileges on the system.
Technical Details
The root cause of this vulnerability lies in the lack of proper security hardening of the InstallationHelper service. Specifically:
- Missing Hardened Runtime: The InstallationHelper service lacks a hardened runtime, which would provide additional security protections against code injection and other attacks.
- Absence of __RESTRICT Segment: The absence of a
__RESTRICTsegment in the binary allows for dynamic library injection.
These omissions allow a local user to exploit the DYLD_INSERT_LIBRARIES environment variable to inject a malicious dynamic library into the process. When the InstallationHelper service executes, it will load and execute the injected library, effectively running arbitrary code with the privileges of the InstallationHelper service, which typically requires elevated permissions for installation tasks.
CVSS Analysis
The vulnerability has been assigned a CVSS v3 score of 6.2 (Medium). This score reflects the following characteristics:
- Attack Vector (AV): Local (L)
- Attack Complexity (AC): Low (L)
- Privileges Required (PR): Low (L)
- User Interaction (UI): None (N)
- Scope (S): Changed (C)
- Confidentiality Impact (C): Low (L)
- Integrity Impact (I): Low (L)
- Availability Impact (A): Low (L)
While the attack requires local access, the ease of exploitation and the potential for privilege escalation justify the “Medium” severity rating.
Possible Impact
Successful exploitation of CVE-2025-62686 can have the following impacts:
- Privilege Escalation: A standard user can gain root or administrator privileges on the affected macOS system.
- Malware Installation: An attacker can install malware with elevated privileges, potentially compromising the entire system.
- Data Theft: An attacker can access and steal sensitive data from the system.
- System Manipulation: An attacker can modify system settings and configurations.
Mitigation and Patch Steps
The primary mitigation for CVE-2025-62686 is to update Plugin Alliance Installation Manager to a patched version that addresses the vulnerability. Specifically, ensure you are running a version later than 1.4.0.
Recommended steps:
- Update Installation Manager: Check for updates within the Plugin Alliance Installation Manager application.
- Download from Official Source: Always download the latest version of the Installation Manager from the official Plugin Alliance website.
- Verify Integrity: Verify the integrity of the downloaded installer using checksums (if provided).
Until a patch is applied, consider temporarily disabling or uninstalling the Plugin Alliance Installation Manager if it is not actively in use.
