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CVE-2025-32978: Unauthenticated License Replacement Vulnerability in Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance

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Overview

The CVE-2025-32978 vulnerability poses a significant threat to users of the Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA). It allows unauthorized users to replace valid system licenses with expired or trial ones, potentially leading to system compromise or data leakage. This vulnerability affects specific versions of the appliance and could lead to a denial of service if exploited, highlighting the importance of immediate patching or implementation of temporary mitigation strategies.

Vulnerability Summary

CVE ID: CVE-2025-32978
Severity: High (7.5 CVSS score)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Impact: System compromise, data leakage, denial of service

Affected Products

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Product | Affected Versions

Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) | 13.0.x before 13.0.385
Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) | 13.1.x before 13.1.81
Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) | 13.2.x before 13.2.183
Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) | 14.0.x before 14.0.341 (Patch 5)
Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) | 14.1.x before 14.1.101 (Patch 4)

How the Exploit Works

The exploit takes advantage of an unprotected web interface intended for license renewal. An attacker can manipulate this interface to replace valid system licenses with expired or trial ones, without needing to authenticate. This can cause a denial of service, as the system will cease to function correctly with an invalid license. It can also lead to a potential system compromise or data leakage.

Conceptual Example Code

Below is a conceptual example of how the vulnerability might be exploited using a malicious HTTP POST request.

POST /licenseRenewal HTTP/1.1
Host: target.example.com
Content-Type: application/json
{ "license_key": "EXPIRED_LICENSE_KEY" }

In this example, the attacker sends a POST request with an expired license key to the “/licenseRenewal” endpoint. The server, lacking proper authentication checks, accepts the new license key, thus causing a denial of service or potential system compromise.

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Disclaimer:

The information and code presented in this article are provided for educational and defensive cybersecurity purposes only. Any conceptual or pseudocode examples are simplified representations intended to raise awareness and promote secure development and system configuration practices.

Do not use this information to attempt unauthorized access or exploit vulnerabilities on systems that you do not own or have explicit permission to test.

Ameeba and its authors do not endorse or condone malicious behavior and are not responsible for misuse of the content. Always follow ethical hacking guidelines, responsible disclosure practices, and local laws.

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