CVE-2025-34078: NSClient++ 0.5.2.35 Local Privilege Escalation via ExternalScripts and Web Interface
Noroxi assessment
Priority: Plan (action score 40/100)
- A ready-made attack module is public (Metasploit); exploiting it takes no special expertise.
- Because a ready-made attack tool exists, priority is at least “Plan”.
- Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 0.71% (FIRST EPSS); higher than 53.3% of all records.
- Someone with local access to the system can trigger it. A low-privileged account is enough. No user action is required. No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
- According to the record, no fixed version is available yet.
Add it to your regular patch cycle. Update when a fix is released; follow the vendor's advisory.
Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it
Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · FIRST EPSS
A local privilege escalation vulnerability exists in NSClient++ 0.5.2.35 when both the web interface and ExternalScripts features are enabled. The configuration file (nsclient.ini) stores the administrative password in plaintext and is readable by local users. By extracting this password, an attacker can authenticate to the NSClient++ web interface (typically accessible on port 8443) and abuse the ExternalScripts plugin to inject and execute arbitrary commands as SYSTEM by registering a custom script, saving the configuration, and triggering it via the API. This behavior is documented but insecure, as the plaintext credential exposure undermines access isolation between local users and administrative functions.
- Published
- Jul 2, 2025
- Updated
- Jun 17, 2026
- EPSS
- 0.7% · 53th percentile
- CWE
- CWE-522
Report tools
Action score
40
Plan
Add it to your regular patch cycle.
- CVSS
- 29 / 40 · 7.3 / 10
- CISA KEV
- 0 / 30 · Not listed
- EPSS
- 0 / 30 · 0.7%
- Ready-made attack tool
- 11 / 40 · floor: at least 40
CISA SSVC decision
- Exploitation
- proof of concept
- Automatable
- no
- Technical impact
- partial
Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.
CNA vs NVD score
- NVD
- —
- CNA · VulnCheck
- 7.3
- NVD has not scored this yet; the score shown is the CNA’s.
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
The score given by the assigning authority versus NVD’s independent score. A gap means the severity is contested.
Get told when this record changes
- Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
- Weaponized exploit exists
- No fixed version yet
If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.
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Noroxi analysis
What does it mean in your environment?
The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.
We use this product, ask for helpAffected systems
Is your version affected?
Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.
| Vendor | Product | CPE |
|---|---|---|
| nsclient | nsclient\+\+ | cpe:2.3:a:nsclient:nsclient\+\+ |
Affected versions
NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.
- nsclient nsclient++0.5.2.35
Versions reported by the vendor
Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (VulnCheck). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.
NSClient++ NSClient++
- 0.5.2.35affected
Same product
nsclient: all recordsOther highest-scoring records for the same primary product.
- CVE-2025-34079NSClient++ Authenticated Remote Code Execution via ExternalScripts API40Plan
- CVE-2018-6384Unquoted Windows search path vulnerability in NSClient++ before 0.4.1.73 allows non-privileged local users to execute arbitrary code with el31Monitor
Remediation
Which version to upgrade to
Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.
No fix version is recorded for this entry. Check the references for vendor advisories.
Exploit status
Weaponized
A ready exploit tool or active in-the-wild use is known for this vulnerability. This should be your top priority.
Evidence
- Metasploit module ×1
Noroxi does not host or link to exploit code. Metasploit module names and Nuclei template ids are shown (names, not code); Exploit-DB entries and PoC repositories are given as counts only.
| Source | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Metasploit module | exploit/windows/local/nscp_peNSClient++ 0.5.2.35 - Privilege escalationexploit | 2020-10-20 |
Research context
For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.
Timeline
From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.
- Metasploit-1717 d
- Published
- TodayOct 26, 2026+481 d
FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).
Patch and commit links
Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.
No commit or PR link among the references.
Credits
All researchersFinders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.
- kindredsecfinder
- BZYOfinder
- Yann Castelfinder
Variant candidates
Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.
No nightly-computed relations.
Chain candidates
An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.
—
Bug bounty scope
No known public program.
Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).
Technical details
Attack conditions
- Someone with local access to the system can trigger it.
- A low-privileged account is enough.
- No user action is required.
- No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
If successful
- Confidentiality
- Integrity
- Availability
- Attack vector
- Local
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- X
Weakness class (CWE)
CWE-522 · Insufficiently Protected CredentialsCVSS vector
CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X
nvd-secondary
Attack context
MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.
Attack patterns (CAPEC)
- Session SidejackingCAPEC-102likelihood: High · High
- Signature Spoofing by Key TheftCAPEC-474likelihood: Medium · High
- Password Recovery ExploitationCAPEC-50likelihood: Medium · High
- KerberoastingCAPEC-509High
- Modify Existing ServiceCAPEC-551
- Remote Services with Stolen CredentialsCAPEC-555Very High
- Use of Known Domain CredentialsCAPEC-560likelihood: High · High
- Windows Admin Shares with Stolen CredentialsCAPEC-561
ATT&CK techniques
- Remote ServicesT1021
- Remote Services:SMB/Windows Admin SharesT1021.002
- Valid AccountsT1078
- Brute Force:Credential StuffingT1110.004
- Email Collection:Remote Email CollectionT1114.002
- External Remote ServicesT1133
- Create or Modify System ProcessT1543
- Use Alternate Authentication Material:Pass The HashT1550.002
- Use Alternate Authentication Material:Pass The TicketT1550.003
- Unsecured Credentials: Private KeysT1552.004
- Steal or Forge Kerberos TicketsT1558
- Steal or Forge Kerberos Tickets:KerberoastingT1558.003
Change log
No changes recorded on tracked fields yet. Score, KEV, exploit maturity and fix status changes appear here.