CVE-2018-25159 in AVCON6 Systems Management Platform
Summary
by MITRE • 03/11/2026
Epross AVCON6 systems management platform contains an object-graph navigation language (OGNL) injection vulnerability that allows unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary commands by injecting malicious OGNL expressions. Attackers can send crafted requests to the login.action endpoint with OGNL payloads in the redirect parameter to instantiate ProcessBuilder objects and execute system commands with root privileges.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/14/2026
The CVE-2018-25159 vulnerability affects the Epross AVCON6 systems management platform, representing a critical object-graph navigation language injection flaw that fundamentally compromises system security. This vulnerability exists within the platform's authentication handling mechanism, specifically targeting the login.action endpoint where user input is processed without adequate sanitization. The flaw enables attackers to inject malicious OGNL expressions through the redirect parameter, leveraging the platform's reliance on OGNL for object graph traversal and manipulation. The vulnerability's severity is amplified by its unauthenticated nature, meaning that any external attacker can exploit it without requiring valid credentials or prior system access, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where such platforms often serve as central management interfaces.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability follows a well-established pattern that aligns with common web application attack methodologies and maps directly to CWE-94, which describes the improper execution of code due to injection flaws. When an attacker crafts a malicious request containing OGNL expressions and submits it to the login.action endpoint, the system processes the input through its object graph navigation mechanism. This processing allows the attacker to instantiate ProcessBuilder objects within the Java runtime environment, effectively bypassing normal security boundaries. The OGNL injection enables arbitrary command execution at the system level, with the vulnerability specifically allowing execution with root privileges, indicating that the platform runs with elevated permissions or that the underlying system architecture permits such privilege escalation through the exploitation vector.
The operational impact of CVE-2018-25159 extends far beyond simple command execution, as it provides attackers with complete system compromise capabilities that align with ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and script interpreter. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can perform reconnaissance, establish persistent access, exfiltrate sensitive data, or deploy additional malicious payloads within the compromised environment. The systems management platform's role as a central administrative interface means that successful exploitation could lead to complete network compromise, especially in environments where the platform manages multiple connected systems or serves as a gateway to other critical infrastructure components. Organizations utilizing Epross AVCON6 systems may find their entire security posture undermined if this vulnerability remains unpatched, as attackers could potentially use the compromised platform as a pivot point for lateral movement throughout the network.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2018-25159 must address both immediate remediation and long-term architectural security improvements. The primary recommendation involves applying vendor-provided patches or upgrades that properly sanitize input parameters and implement proper OGNL expression validation within the login.action endpoint. Organizations should also implement network segmentation to limit access to the platform to authorized users only, while employing web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious OGNL injection attempts. Input validation should be strengthened through the implementation of allowlists for redirect parameters and the removal of unnecessary object graph navigation capabilities within the application. Additionally, regular security assessments should be conducted to identify similar injection vulnerabilities in other components of the platform, as this vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input sanitization and the dangerous consequences of insufficient validation in web applications that process user-supplied data through complex object manipulation frameworks. The vulnerability also highlights the need for principle of least privilege implementations and regular security audits to prevent the execution of commands with elevated privileges from untrusted input sources.