Sudo 1.9.14 – 1.9.17 Local Privilege Escalation via chroot (CVE-2025-32463)
Overview
Sudo 1.9.14 – 1.9.17 Local Privilege Escalation via chroot, tracked as CVE-2025-32463, affects Sudo versions before 1.9.17p1. Sudo is a core privilege management utility on Unix-like systems, so a local privilege escalation flaw can turn limited shell access into root-level compromise.
Vulnerability Overview
CVE-2025-32463 is tied to Sudo's --chroot option. The vulnerability allows a local user to obtain root access because /etc/nsswitch.conf can be loaded from a user-controlled directory when the chroot option is used.
The issue affects Sudo 1.9.14 through before 1.9.17p1. The Sudo project fixed the vulnerability in 1.9.17p1 and disabled the vulnerable chroot behavior.
Impact
The vulnerability is rated Critical with a CVSS 3.1 score of 9.3 by the CVE record. Successful exploitation can allow a local user to gain root privileges, leading to full confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact on the host.
CVE-2025-32463 is listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, which indicates known exploitation and raises the urgency for patching affected systems.
Vulnerability Scope
The affected range is Sudo 1.9.14 through before 1.9.17p1. Linux distributions may package patched Sudo versions differently, so administrators should follow their distribution security advisories in addition to the upstream Sudo advisory.
The vulnerable condition requires local access to the system. It is not a network-facing remote code execution issue, but it is high impact when attackers already have a low-privilege foothold.
Lab Focus
This Hackviser lab focuses on understanding how local privilege escalation works in a core Unix/Linux security tool. You will practice identifying affected Sudo versions, understanding the role of chroot-related configuration loading, and connecting local privilege escalation to post-compromise hardening.