CVE-2025-54769: Authenticated Directory Traversal Leading to Remote Code Execution

Overview

The security vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-54769 is a potent threat that manipulates file upload functionalities and directory traversals to compromise system integrity. This vulnerability affects any application that does not validate or sanitize the file path and name during the file upload process. The exploitation of this vulnerability can lead to remote code execution (RCE), a severe security flaw that enables an attacker to execute arbitrary commands or code on a victim’s system.
The significance of this vulnerability lies in its ability to be exploited by a read-only user, which typically have limited permissions. This means that even seemingly ‘safe’ user accounts can become potential threats. Given the high CVSS severity score of 8.8, the impact of this vulnerability on affected systems is significant and requires immediate attention.

Vulnerability Summary

CVE ID: CVE-2025-54769
Severity: High (8.8 CVSS Score)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: Low (Authenticated Read-only User)
User Interaction: Required
Impact: System Compromise, Data Leakage

Affected Products

Product | Affected Versions

Product A | Version 1.0-2.5
Product B | Version 2.5-3.0

How the Exploit Works

This exploit works by taking advantage of the application’s lack of validation and sanitization during the file upload process. An authenticated read-only user uploads a file and performs a directory traversal (exploiting a lack of proper input validation) to place the uploaded file in a location of their choosing.
This can be used to overwrite existing PERL modules within the application. By doing so, the attacker can craft a malicious script that, when executed, gives them control over the system, leading to remote code execution (RCE).

Conceptual Example Code

Here is a conceptual example of how the vulnerability might be exploited:

POST /upload_file HTTP/1.1
Host: vulnerableapp.example.com
Content-Type: multipart/form-data; boundary=----WebKitFormBoundary7MA4YWxkTrZu0gW
------WebKitFormBoundary7MA4YWxkTrZu0gW
Content-Disposition: form-data; name="uploaded_file"; filename="../../../../etc/perl/module_to_overwrite.pl"
Content-Type: application/x-perl
[Insert malicious PERL script here]
------WebKitFormBoundary7MA4YWxkTrZu0gW--

In this example, the attacker is uploading a malicious PERL script and using directory traversal (‘../../../../’) to overwrite an existing module in the ‘/etc/perl/’ directory. When the application next uses this module, the malicious script is executed, leading to RCE.
To mitigate this vulnerability, it is recommended to apply the vendor patch as soon as it becomes available or use a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) as a temporary mitigation.