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CVE-2025-53819: Nix Package Manager Security Vulnerability in macOS

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Overview

CVE-2025-53819 is a critical security vulnerability discovered in Nix, a popular package manager for Linux and other Unix systems. This vulnerability specifically affects builds with Nix 2.30.0 on macOS, where the builds were executed with root privileges instead of the build users, potentially leading to system compromise or data leakage. Due to the widespread usage of Nix in Unix systems and the severity of the potential damage, this vulnerability merits serious attention from system administrators, developers, and all concerned parties.

Vulnerability Summary

CVE ID: CVE-2025-53819
Severity: High (CVSS Score 7.9)
Attack Vector: Local
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: Required
Impact: System compromise or data leakage

Affected Products

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Product | Affected Versions

Nix Package Manager | 2.30.0

How the Exploit Works

This vulnerability arises from the incorrect assignment of user privileges during the build process in Nix 2.30.0 on macOS. Instead of assigning the builds to the user who initiated them, they are executed with root privileges. This means that a malicious user or script could potentially initiate a build that includes harmful or exploitative actions, which the system would then execute with root privileges, leading to potential system compromise or data leakage.

Conceptual Example Code

An exploitation of this vulnerability might look like this:

# User initiates a build with a malicious script
nix-build --expr '(import <nixpkgs> {}).runCommand "bad" {} "echo \"malicious code\" > /root/malicious.txt"'

In this example, the build includes a script that writes “malicious code” to a file in the root directory. Because the build is executed with root privileges, this action is allowed, even if the user does not have root access.

Mitigation Guidance

The vendor, Nix, has released a patch in the form of an updated version (2.30.1) that corrects this vulnerability. Users are strongly advised to apply this patch as soon as possible. If the patch cannot be applied immediately, a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can provide temporary mitigation. However, these solutions should be considered stopgap measures, and the update should be applied as soon as it is feasible.

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Disclaimer:

The information and code presented in this article are provided for educational and defensive cybersecurity purposes only. Any conceptual or pseudocode examples are simplified representations intended to raise awareness and promote secure development and system configuration practices.

Do not use this information to attempt unauthorized access or exploit vulnerabilities on systems that you do not own or have explicit permission to test.

Ameeba and its authors do not endorse or condone malicious behavior and are not responsible for misuse of the content. Always follow ethical hacking guidelines, responsible disclosure practices, and local laws.

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