Tenable has released a critical security update for its Network Monitor platform after discovering multiple vulnerabilities that could allow attackers to escalate privileges on affected systems.
The company issued Tenable Network Monitor version 6.5.1 to address both third-party component flaws and newly identified security weaknesses that pose significant risks to enterprise networks.
The security update primarily targets vulnerabilities found in several third-party software components that provide essential functionality to Tenable Network Monitor.
The affected components include widely-used libraries such as OpenSSL, expat, curl, libpcap, and libxml2, all of which contained security flaws that could potentially compromise system integrity.
In response to these discoveries, Tenable has implemented comprehensive updates across all vulnerable components.
The new release upgrades OpenSSL to version 3.0.16, expat to version 2.7.0, curl to version 8.12.0, libpcap to version 1.10.5, and libxml2 to version 2.13.8.
These updates represent significant version improvements designed to eliminate known security weaknesses that could be exploited by malicious actors.
The company emphasized that this proactive approach aligns with cybersecurity best practices, noting that upgrading vulnerable third-party components is crucial for maintaining robust security postures.
Organizations relying on Tenable Network Monitor should recognize that these third-party libraries often serve as common attack vectors for cybercriminals seeking to compromise enterprise security infrastructure.
Windows-Specific Vulnerabilities
Beyond the third-party component issues, Tenable researchers identified two critical vulnerabilities specific to Windows installations that could enable local privilege escalation attacks.
These newly discovered flaws, designated as CVE-2025-24916 and CVE-2025-24917, represent serious security concerns for organizations running Tenable Network Monitor on Windows systems.
CVE-2025-24916 affects installations where administrators choose non-default installation locations on Windows hosts.
The vulnerability stems from inadequate permission enforcement for sub-directories in custom installation paths.
This security gap could allow attackers with local access to escalate their privileges if system administrators failed to properly secure the non-default installation directories.
The second vulnerability, CVE-2025-24917, presents an even more concerning attack scenario.
This flaw enables non-administrative users to stage malicious files in local directories, ultimately allowing them to execute arbitrary code with SYSTEM privileges.
Such capability represents the highest level of access on Windows systems, effectively granting attackers complete control over affected machines.
Tenable Releases Security Patch
Tenable has made the corrective update immediately available through its official Downloads Portal, emphasizing the critical nature of these security fixes.
The company’s security advisory strongly encourages all users to upgrade to version 6.5.1 without delay, particularly those operating in Windows environments where the privilege escalation vulnerabilities pose immediate risks.
The cybersecurity firm’s response demonstrates its commitment to transparent vulnerability disclosure and rapid remediation.
Tenable maintains that product security remains a top priority and actively encourages security researchers to report potential vulnerabilities through responsible disclosure channels.
Organizations using Tenable Network Monitor should prioritize this security update as part of their vulnerability management programs.
The combination of third-party component vulnerabilities and Windows-specific privilege escalation flaws creates a compelling case for immediate patch deployment, especially in enterprise environments where network monitoring systems often maintain elevated system access necessary for comprehensive security oversight.
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