Junglewise Threat Intelligence

CVE-2025-14821: libssh insecure default configuration on Windows

CVE-2025-14821 · Severity: high · CVSS 7.8 · Published 2026-04-07

Technologies: Redhat Hardened Images, Libssh. Vendors: Redhat, Libssh.

Executive brief

A security flaw in the libssh library on Windows allows unprivileged users to interfere with secure connections. The library incorrectly looks for configuration files in a directory that any user can create or modify, allowing an attacker to redirect traffic or downgrade security settings. This could lead to the theft of login credentials or the interception of sensitive data transmitted over SSH.

Technical details

An uncontrolled search path vulnerability (CWE-427) exists in libssh on Windows systems. The library is configured by default to load configuration files and known-hosts data from the 'C:\etc' directory. Because unprivileged local users can typically create and modify this directory on Windows, an attacker can inject malicious configurations or host keys. This allows for local man-in-the-middle (MitM) attacks, security protocol downgrades, and manipulation of trusted host information without requiring user interaction. The issue is addressed in libssh versions 0.11.4 and 0.12.0.

Affected products

  • libssh libssh < 0.11.4, < 0.12.0

Timeline

  • 2025-12-17: disclosed: Initial bug report in Red Hat Bugzilla
  • 2026-02-10: patched: libssh versions 0.12.0 and 0.11.4 released
  • 2026-04-07: advisory: CVE-2025-14821 published

References

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