AWS VPN Client for macOS Privilege Escalation Vulnerability (CVE-2025-11462)

A critical vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2025-11462, was discovered in the AWS Client VPN application for macOS, allowing local users to escalate privileges to root. The flaw, which received a CVSS score of 9.3, is caused by improper link resolution before file access in the AWS VPN Client for macOS versions 1.3.2 through 5.2.0. Insufficient validation checks on the log destination directory during log rotation enable a non-administrator user to create a symbolic link from a client log file to a privileged location. When log rotation occurs, this symlink can be exploited to inject arbitrary code into the log file, which is then executed with root privileges. The vulnerability is not remotely exploitable, requiring local access to the affected system. Security researchers highlighted that a crafted API call could be used to inject malicious code into the log file, further increasing the risk of exploitation. AWS has released a patched version, AWS VPN Client for macOS 5.2.1, and strongly recommends all users upgrade to this or the latest available version to mitigate the risk. The vulnerability was publicly disclosed on October 7, 2025, and has been classified as critical due to the potential for full system compromise. No evidence of active exploitation in the wild has been reported at the time of disclosure, but the technical details suggest that exploitation would be straightforward for a local attacker. The flaw does not affect other operating systems or AWS VPN clients for platforms other than macOS. Organizations using affected versions are urged to update immediately and review system logs for any signs of suspicious activity. The vulnerability underscores the importance of secure log handling and proper validation of file operations in privileged applications. Security advisories recommend restricting local access to systems running vulnerable versions until patches are applied. The issue was identified and reported through responsible disclosure channels, and AWS responded promptly with a fix. The vulnerability highlights ongoing risks associated with privilege escalation flaws in widely used enterprise software.