Overview
The CVE-2025-61592 vulnerability is a critical issue that impacts Cursor, a popular code editor utilized by programmers worldwide for AI development. This vulnerability became apparent in versions 1.7 and below, where project-specific CLI configurations could overrule global configurations in Cursor’s CLI. As a result, users running the CLI within a potentially harmful repository could be susceptible to Remote Code Execution (RCE). This issue is especially concerning as RCE vulnerabilities can lead to severe consequences, such as unauthorized access to sensitive data, system compromise, or even complete system control.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-61592
Severity: High (8.8 CVSS Score)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: Required
Impact: Potential system compromise or data leakage
Affected Products
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Product | Affected Versions
Cursor | 1.7 and below
How the Exploit Works
The exploit takes advantage of the automatic loading of project-specific CLI configurations from the current working directory. This process overrides global configurations in Cursor’s CLI. In a malicious repository, an attacker can craft a permissive configuration that allows shell commands and injects commands via project-specific rules or other mechanisms. This combination makes the system susceptible to Remote Code Execution attacks.
Conceptual Example Code
Given the nature of the vulnerability, the attacker could employ a malicious JSON file to override CLI settings. The following is a conceptual example of a malicious .cursor/cli.json file:
{
"command": "echo 'malicious_command';"
}This JSON file, when loaded by the Cursor CLI, would allow the execution of the ‘malicious_command’ due to the permissive configuration. It could lead to uncontrolled access to the system or data leakage.
Workarounds and Mitigation
Affected users are advised to apply the vendor patch (2025.09.17-25b418f) immediately, which addresses this issue. If the patch cannot be applied immediately, the use of a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can serve as temporary mitigation. However, these measures should be considered as short-term solutions, and the patch should be applied as soon as it is feasible to ensure system security.
