Universal Forwarder
CVE-2025-20298: Incorrect permission assignment on Universal Forwarder for Windows during new installation or upgrade
In Universal Forwarder for Windows versions below 9.4.2, 9.3.4, 9.2.6, and 9.1.9, a new installation of or an upgrade to an affected version can result in incorrect permissions assignment in the Universal Forwarder for Windows Installation directory (by default, C:\Program Files\SplunkUniversalForwarder).
Published
Automatic summary from the vendor's CVE record. We haven't written a full analysis of this vulnerability yet.
Affected and fixed versions
| Product / branch | Fixed in |
|---|---|
| Splunk/UniversalForwarder for Windows 9.4 | 9.4.2 or later |
| Splunk/UniversalForwarder for Windows 9.3 | 9.3.4 or later |
| Splunk/UniversalForwarder for Windows 9.2 | 9.2.6 or later |
| Splunk/UniversalForwarder for Windows 9.1 | 9.1.9 or later |
Always confirm against the vendor advisory, which lists every fixed hotfix.
What it is
In Universal Forwarder for Windows versions below 9.4.2, 9.3.4, 9.2.6, and 9.1.9, a new installation of or an upgrade to an affected version can result in incorrect permissions assignment in the Universal Forwarder for Windows Installation directory (by default, C:\Program Files\SplunkUniversalForwarder). This lets non-administrator users on the machine access the directory and all its contents.
Sources
KEV status, EPSS score and vendor data refreshed automatically, last on 13 Oct 2026.