Overview
The cybersecurity landscape is an ever-evolving terrain, with new vulnerabilities surfacing regularly. One such vulnerability, CVE-2025-28388, affects OpenC3 COSMOS v6.0.0, a widely used software management platform. This post aims to provide an in-depth examination of this vulnerability, its potential impact, and recommended mitigation strategies.
The vulnerability stems from hardcoded service account credentials within the software. This is a serious security flaw that can grant unauthorized users system access, leading to potential system compromise or data leakage. Given the severity of the vulnerability, it is crucial for users of OpenC3 COSMOS v6.0.0 to understand and mitigate this risk promptly.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-28388
Severity: Critical (9.8 CVSS Score)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Impact: System compromise or data leakage
Affected Products
Escape the Surveillance Era
Most apps won’t tell you the truth.
They’re part of the problem.
Phone numbers. Emails. Profiles. Logs.
It’s all fuel for surveillance.
Ameeba Chat gives you a way out.
- • No phone number
- • No email
- • No personal info
- • Anonymous aliases
- • End-to-end encrypted
Chat without a trace.
Product | Affected Versions
OpenC3 COSMOS | v6.0.0
How the Exploit Works
The vulnerability is due to hardcoded credentials for the service account present in the OpenC3 COSMOS v6.0.0 software. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by using these hardcoded credentials to gain unauthorized access to the system. This unauthorized access can lead to system compromise, allowing the attacker to execute arbitrary code, modify system settings, access sensitive data, or disrupt service availability.
Conceptual Example Code
Below is a conceptual example of how the vulnerability might be exploited. This example presents a shell command that an attacker might use to exploit the vulnerability:
# Exploit the hardcoded credentials
curl -X POST "http://target-domain.com/login" -d '{"username":"hardcoded_username", "password":"hardcoded_password"}'In this example, the attacker sends a POST request to the login endpoint of the target system using the hardcoded credentials. If successful, this would grant the attacker unauthorized access to the system.
Recommended Mitigation
The most effective way to mitigate this vulnerability is by applying the vendor’s official patch. If this is not immediately possible, using Web Application Firewalls (WAF) or Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) can provide temporary mitigation by detecting and blocking attempted exploits. However, these are not foolproof and should only be considered as interim solutions until the official patch can be applied.
It is also recommended to regularly review system accounts and credentials, removing or updating any unnecessary or insecure entries. This is a good security practice that can prevent similar vulnerabilities in the future.