{"id":85868,"date":"2025-11-18T00:31:26","date_gmt":"2025-11-18T00:31:26","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"-0001-11-30T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"-0001-11-30T00:00:00","slug":"cve-2025-48413-exploitation-of-hard-coded-password-hashes-in-operating-system-update-files","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ameeba.com\/blog\/cve-2025-48413-exploitation-of-hard-coded-password-hashes-in-operating-system-update-files\/","title":{"rendered":"CVE-2025-48413: Exploitation of Hard-coded Password Hashes in Operating System Update Files<\/strong>"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

The vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-48413 exposes critical system files `\/etc\/passwd` and `\/etc\/shadow` that contain hard-coded password hashes for the root user of the operating system. Any system running the affected software update is at risk, potentially leading to unauthorized access, system compromise, and data leakage. This vulnerability is of high concern due to its direct impact on the system’s integrity and confidentiality.<\/p>\n

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

CVE ID: CVE-2025-48413
\nSeverity: High (Score: 7.7)
\nAttack Vector: Network and Physical Access
\nPrivileges Required: None
\nUser Interaction: None
\nImpact: System compromise and data leakage<\/p>\n

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

Product | Affected Versions<\/p>\n

Operating System | OS Version with the affected update<\/p>\n

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

The exploit takes advantage of the hard-coded password hashes that are included in the operating system update files. An attacker can extract these password hashes from the `\/etc\/passwd` and `\/etc\/shadow` files and use them to gain unauthorized access to the device. The vulnerability can be exploited remotely via an SSH backdoor, or physically via UART shell access if the attacker has physical contact with the device.<\/p>\n

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

The following is a simplified representation of how an attacker might exploit this vulnerability:<\/p>\n

# Extract the password hashes\ncat \/etc\/passwd | grep root\ncat \/etc\/shadow | grep root\n# Use the extracted hashes to log in as root\nssh root@target-device-ip<\/code><\/pre>\n
Mitigation and Recommendations<\/strong><\/p>\n
To mitigate the risk associated with this vulnerability, it is advised to apply the vendor’s patch once available. In the interim, a web application firewall (WAF) or intrusion detection system (IDS) should be used to detect and block any attempts to exploit this vulnerability. Furthermore, end users should be on the lookout for any suspicious activity on their devices and report it promptly to their IT department or software vendor.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Overview The vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-48413 exposes critical system files `\/etc\/passwd` and `\/etc\/shadow` that contain hard-coded password hashes for the root user of the operating system. Any system running the affected software update is at risk, potentially leading to unauthorized access, system compromise, and data leakage. This vulnerability is of high concern due to its […]<\/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":[],"tags":[],"vendor":[],"product":[],"attack_vector":[],"asset_type":[],"severity":[],"exploit_status":[],"class_list":["post-85868","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"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