Overview
The vulnerability CVE-2025-1079 is a significant security flaw that primarily impacts macOS and Linux users of Google Web Designer. The flaw, detected in the preview feature of Google Web Designer, could potentially lead to a system compromise or data leakage due to improper resolution of symbolic links. Given the severity of this vulnerability and Google Web Designer’s widespread use in web development, understanding and mitigating this vulnerability is of utmost importance to maintain secure systems.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-1079
Severity: High (CVSS: 7.8)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: Required
Impact: Potential system compromise or data leakage
Affected Products
Escape the Surveillance Era
Most apps won’t tell you the truth.
They’re part of the problem.
Phone numbers. Emails. Profiles. Logs.
It’s all fuel for surveillance.
Ameeba Chat gives you a way out.
- • No phone number
- • No email
- • No personal info
- • Anonymous aliases
- • End-to-end encrypted
Chat without a trace.
Product | Affected Versions
Google Web Designer | All versions prior to patch
How the Exploit Works
This vulnerability is due to an error in the way Google Web Designer’s preview feature resolves symbolic links. When this feature is used, the application fails to correctly validate and resolve symbolic links. This misstep could allow an attacker to manipulate symbolic links to point to arbitrary locations. The vulnerability can be exploited if the attacker induces a user to preview a maliciously crafted project that contains manipulated symbolic links. The exploitation could lead to remote code execution, enabling the attacker to execute arbitrary commands on the victim’s system or gain unauthorized access to sensitive data.
Conceptual Example Code
This is a conceptual example illustrating how an attacker might exploit this vulnerability. The attacker could craft a malicious project containing symbolic links that point to critical system files or executable code.
# Attacker creates a symbolic link pointing to a critical system file
ln -s /path/to/critical/system/file /path/to/GoogleWebDesigner/project/malicious_link
# Attacker then tricks the user into opening the malicious project in Google Web Designer
open -a GoogleWebDesigner /path/to/GoogleWebDesigner/project/malicious_projectIn the above example, when the user opens the malicious project, Google Web Designer’s preview feature would mistakenly resolve the symbolic link and potentially expose critical system files, leading to system compromise or data leakage.
Mitigation and Countermeasures
Users are advised to update their Google Web Designer to the latest version, which includes a patch for this vulnerability. If an immediate update is not possible, users should consider employing a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) as a temporary mitigation measure. Additionally, users should be wary of opening projects from untrusted sources to minimize the risk of exploitation.