Overview
The cybersecurity world is brimming with numerous vulnerabilities that can compromise systems and lead to potential data leaks. One such security flaw, known as CVE-2025-31644, is a command injection vulnerability that affects systems running in Appliance mode. This vulnerability, housed in an undisclosed iControl REST and BIG-IP TMOS Shell command, poses a significant threat to those using this software, particularly those with administrator privileges. The severity of this issue lies in its potential to allow an authenticated attacker to execute arbitrary system commands, crossing security boundaries, and possibly leading to system compromise or data leakage.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-31644
Severity: High (CVSS 8.7)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: High (Administrator role)
User Interaction: Required
Impact: System Compromise, Potential Data Leakage
Affected Products
Product | Affected Versions
iControl REST | Versions reaching End of Technical Support (EoTS)
BIG-IP TMOS Shell | Versions reaching End of Technical Support (EoTS)
How the Exploit Works
An attacker, after authenticating with administrative privileges, can exploit this vulnerability by injecting malicious commands into the iControl REST and BIG-IP TMOS Shell command. As the system runs in Appliance mode, the executed commands can bypass regular security checks, allowing the attacker to execute arbitrary system commands. The successful execution of these commands can lead to the crossing of security boundaries, compromise of the entire system, and potential data leakage.
Conceptual Example Code
The following is a hypothetical example of how this vulnerability might be exploited. It represents a POST request to a hypothetical endpoint, containing a malicious payload.
POST /vulnerable/command_injection_endpoint HTTP/1.1
Host: target.example.com
Authorization: Basic YWRtaW46cGFzc3dvcmQ=
Content-Type: application/json
{
"command": "; rm -rf / ;",
"commandType": "tmsh"
}In this example, the attacker sends a JSON object containing the “command” key. The value of this key starts with a semicolon (;), which may allow the attacker to execute arbitrary commands (in this case, deleting all files in the system).
Mitigation
To mitigate the CVE-2025-31644 vulnerability, apply the vendor-provided patch. In instances where the patch is not immediately available or applicable, use a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) as temporary mitigation. Continuous monitoring and updating of system software can also help prevent such vulnerabilities from being exploited.
