A critical authorization bypass vulnerability in HTCondor, tracked as CVE-2025-30093, has been disclosed, affecting multiple versions of the widely used distributed computing software. The flaw allows authenticated attackers to circumvent authorization checks, potentially leading to unauthorized access to sensitive functions or data. With a CVSS v3.0 score of 8.1 (High), this vulnerability demands immediate attention from organizations relying on HTCondor for high-performance computing tasks.
Summary for Decision Makers
The vulnerability impacts HTCondor versions 23.0.x before 23.0.22, 23.10.x before 23.10.22, 24.0.x before 24.0.6, and 24.6.x before 24.6.1. Successful exploitation could enable attackers with valid credentials to perform actions beyond their intended permissions. The primary mitigation is upgrading to patched versions: 23.0.22, 23.10.22, 24.0.6, or 24.6.1.
- CVSS v3.0: 8.1 (High) – AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N
- Affected Versions: 23.0.0–23.0.21, 23.10.0–23.10.21, 24.0.0–24.0.5, 24.6.0
- Weakness Type: CWE-863 (Incorrect Authorization)
- Patch Availability: Immediate through vendor updates
Technical Details of the Vulnerability
The vulnerability stems from improper authorization checks in HTCondor’s authentication mechanisms. While the exact technical details of the flaw have not been publicly disclosed to prevent active exploitation, the NVD entry confirms it allows authenticated users to bypass intended restrictions. The CVSS vector indicates the attack can be conducted over the network (AV:N) with low attack complexity (AC:L), requiring low privileges (PR:L) but no user interaction (UI:N).
Impact assessments show high risks to both confidentiality (C:H) and integrity (I:H), though availability is not affected (A:N). This suggests the vulnerability could be used to access sensitive job data or modify computational tasks rather than causing service disruption. The CVSS v2.0 score of 5.5 (Medium) reflects a less severe assessment under the older scoring system.
Affected Products and Patch Information
The vulnerability affects all major recent releases of HTCondor, including both stable and development branches. The HTCondor project has released updates addressing the issue in the following versions:
| Branch | Vulnerable Versions | Fixed Version |
|---|---|---|
| 23.0.x | 23.0.0–23.0.21 | 23.0.22 |
| 23.10.x | 23.10.0–23.10.21 | 23.10.22 |
| 24.0.x | 24.0.0–24.0.5 | 24.0.6 |
| 24.6.x | 24.6.0 | 24.6.1 |
Mitigation Strategies
Organizations using affected HTCondor versions should prioritize upgrading to the patched releases. For environments where immediate patching isn’t feasible, implementing network-level controls can reduce risk. Restricting access to HTCondor services to trusted networks and monitoring for unusual authentication patterns can help detect potential exploitation attempts.
Additional security measures include reviewing user permissions and implementing principle of least privilege, as the vulnerability requires authenticated access. Organizations should also monitor HTCondor logs for unexpected authorization events or privilege escalations, particularly in multi-tenant environments where the impact could be more severe.
Conclusion
CVE-2025-30093 represents a significant security risk for organizations using vulnerable versions of HTCondor, particularly in research, academic, or enterprise computing environments. The availability of patches makes remediation straightforward, and the high CVSS score warrants prompt action. As HTCondor often handles sensitive computational workloads, ensuring proper authorization controls is essential for maintaining data confidentiality and system integrity.
Future research may reveal more details about the vulnerability’s technical specifics, but the current advisory provides sufficient information for organizations to assess risk and implement protective measures. Regular updates and security monitoring remain critical components of maintaining secure HTCondor deployments.
References
- “CVE-2025-30093 Detail,” National Vulnerability Database, [Online]. Available: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-30093
- “HTCONDOR-2025-0001 Security Advisory,” HTCondor Project, [Online]. Available: https://htcondor.org/security/vulnerabilities/HTCONDOR-2025-0001.html
- “GHSA-v64g-gxm8-whwj: HTCondor Authorization Bypass,” GitHub Advisory Database, [Online]. Available: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-v64g-gxm8-whwj
- “CVE-2025-30093,” Debian OSV, [Online]. Available: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-30093
