Overview
The vulnerability CVE-2025-3499 is a critical security issue affecting devices that run two web servers with unauthenticated REST APIs on the management network. This flaw allows potential attackers to send arbitrary commands that get executed with administrative permissions by the underlying operating system. The risk is particularly high due to the lack of authentication required for accessing the REST APIs, making it an attractive target for malicious actors. It’s essential to understand the nature of this flaw, its potential impacts, and the steps required to mitigate it to protect the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of the affected systems.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-3499
Severity: Critical (10.0 CVSS score)
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
[Device running two web servers with unauthenticated REST APIs] | [All versions prior to the patch]
How the Exploit Works
The exploit takes advantage of the unauthenticated REST APIs exposed on TCP ports 8084 and 8086 by the device’s two web servers. An attacker can craft and send malicious OS commands to these APIs. Since these commands are executed with administrative permissions, the attacker can potentially take complete control of the system, manipulate its functionalities, or extract sensitive data.
Conceptual Example Code
Here is a
conceptual
example of how the vulnerability might be exploited. This is a sample HTTP request directed towards the vulnerable endpoint:
POST /vulnerable/endpoint HTTP/1.1
Host: target.example.com
Content-Type: application/json
{ "malicious_payload": "rm -rf / --no-preserve-root" }In this example, the “malicious_payload” is an OS command that, when executed, deletes all files in the system. A real-world attack would likely be more sophisticated and targeted, but this demonstrates the potential severity of this vulnerability.
Please note that this is a hypothetical example and should not be used on any live system. It is intended only to illustrate the nature of this vulnerability.
Mitigation Guidance
The recommended solution is to apply the patch provided by the vendor. If the patch cannot be applied immediately, using a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can serve as a temporary mitigation method. Ensure these systems are configured to block or alert on suspicious traffic directed towards the vulnerable endpoints (TCP ports 8084 and 8086). Regularly update and patch your systems to protect against such vulnerabilities.