{"id":56252,"date":"2025-07-01T03:47:37","date_gmt":"2025-07-01T03:47:37","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2025-09-16T12:32:00","modified_gmt":"2025-09-16T18:32:00","slug":"cve-2025-32976-two-factor-authentication-bypass-vulnerability-in-quest-kace-systems-management-appliance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ameeba.com\/blog\/cve-2025-32976-two-factor-authentication-bypass-vulnerability-in-quest-kace-systems-management-appliance\/","title":{"rendered":"CVE-2025-32976: Two-Factor Authentication Bypass Vulnerability in Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance<\/strong>"},"content":{"rendered":"

Overview<\/strong><\/p>\n

In this blog post, we will delve into the details of a critical vulnerability, CVE-2025-32976, that affects Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA). This vulnerability presents a significant security risk as it allows authenticated users to bypass Time-Based One-Time Password (TOTP) two-factor authentication (2FA) requirements and gain elevated access. This flaw can potentially lead<\/a> to system compromise or data leakage, particularly in environments where SMA is a critical component of the network infrastructure.<\/p>\n

Vulnerability Summary<\/strong><\/p>\n

CVE ID: CVE-2025-32976
\nSeverity: Critical (8.8 CVSS score)
\nAttack Vector: Network
\nPrivileges Required: Low – Authenticated Users<\/a>
\nUser Interaction: Required
\nImpact: System compromise or data<\/a> leakage<\/p>\n

Affected Products<\/strong><\/p>\n

Product | Affected Versions<\/p>\n

Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance<\/a> (SMA) 13.0.x | Before 13.0.385
\nQuest KACE Systems Management<\/a> Appliance (SMA) 13.1.x | Before 13.1.81
\nQuest KACE Systems Management<\/a> Appliance (SMA) 13.2.x | Before 13.2.183
\nQuest KACE Systems Management<\/a> Appliance (SMA) 14.0.x | Before 14.0.341 (Patch 5)
\nQuest KACE Systems Management<\/a> Appliance (SMA) 14.1.x | Before 14.1.101 (Patch 4)<\/p>\n

How the Exploit Works<\/strong><\/p>\n

The vulnerability stems from a logic flaw in the 2FA validation process of Quest KACE<\/a> Systems Management Appliance (SMA). An attacker with authenticated access can exploit this flaw by manipulating the 2FA validation process to bypass the TOTP-based 2FA requirements, thereby gaining elevated access to the system<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Conceptual Example Code<\/strong><\/p>\n

While there is no specific exploit code available, an attacker may manipulate the 2FA process through a sequence of HTTP requests. A conceptual example might look like this:<\/p>\n

POST \/KACE_SMA\/validate_2FA HTTP\/1.1\nHost: target.example.com\nContent-Type: application\/json\nCookie: Authenticated_User_Session=...\n{\n\"user\": \"attacker\",\n\"pass\": \"attacker_password\",\n\"2FA_token\": \"bypassed_value\"\n}<\/code><\/pre>\n
In the above request, the attacker uses their valid credentials but provides a manipulated or bypassed<\/a> 2FA token. Due to the logic flaw in the 2FA validation process, the SMA may grant elevated access to the attacker<\/a> despite the invalid 2FA token.
\nTo mitigate this vulnerability, apply the vendor-provided patch as soon as possible. If this is not immediately possible, consider implementing a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) as a temporary countermeasure. However, these should not be seen as a long-term solution, as they may not fully prevent exploitation of the vulnerability.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Overview In this blog post, we will delve into the details of a critical vulnerability, CVE-2025-32976, that affects Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA). This vulnerability presents a significant security risk as it allows authenticated users to bypass Time-Based One-Time Password (TOTP) two-factor authentication (2FA) requirements and gain elevated access. This flaw can potentially lead […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"vendor":[],"product":[],"attack_vector":[75],"asset_type":[],"severity":[],"exploit_status":[],"class_list":["post-56252","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","attack_vector-authentication-bypass"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t