Overview
In the rapidly evolving world of cybersecurity, a new vulnerability, CVE-2025-2025, has been identified, posing a significant risk to users of Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center (FMC) Software. This vulnerability exists within the Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service (RADIUS) subsystem of the software and could allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to execute arbitrary shell commands at a high privilege level. It is of particular concern for organizations that have configured their Cisco Secure FMC Software for RADIUS authentication for the web-based management interface, SSH management, or both.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-20265
Severity: Critical (CVSS 10.0)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Impact: Potential system compromise or data leakage
Affected Products
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Product | Affected Versions
Cisco Secure Firewall Management Center (FMC) Software | All versions prior to the vendor patch
How the Exploit Works
The vulnerability in question arises due to a lack of adequate handling of user input during the authentication phase. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by sending carefully crafted input when entering credentials that are authenticated at the configured RADIUS server. A successful exploit would allow the attacker to run commands at a high privilege level, potentially leading to system compromise or data leakage.
Conceptual Example Code
Here is a generalized example of how an attacker might exploit the vulnerability. This is a conceptual representation and is not intended to work in a real-world scenario.
POST /radius/auth HTTP/1.1
Host: target.example.com
Content-Type: application/json
{
"username": "admin",
"password": "password123; rm -rf /"
}In the above example, the attacker attempts to authenticate with a username and a maliciously crafted password. The password includes a shell command (`rm -rf /`) following a semi-colon symbol. If the system does not properly sanitize the input, it may treat the command as part of the system commands and execute it, leading to potential system compromise.
Mitigation Measures
Given the critical severity of this vulnerability, it is recommended that affected systems apply the vendor patch as soon as possible. In the interim, a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) could be utilized as a temporary mitigation measure. These systems can be configured to detect and block attempts to exploit this vulnerability.
Remember, the best defense against cybersecurity threats is a proactive approach to security, which includes regular system updates and patches, as well as continuous monitoring for unusual activities. Stay safe!