CVE-2025-0105 in Cloud NGFW
Summary
by MITRE • 01/11/2025
An arbitrary file deletion vulnerability in Palo Alto Networks Expedition enables an unauthenticated attacker to delete arbitrary files accessible to the www-data user on the host filesystem.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/24/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-0105 represents a critical arbitrary file deletion flaw within Palo Alto Networks Expedition software, a tool designed for network security assessment and configuration management. This vulnerability specifically affects the web-based interface of Expedition and creates a path for unauthenticated attackers to execute destructive operations against the host filesystem. The flaw stems from insufficient input validation and access control mechanisms within the application's file handling components, allowing remote attackers to manipulate file deletion operations through crafted requests. The vulnerability impacts systems where Expedition is deployed and accessible over network connections, particularly those running on linux-based environments where the application operates under the www-data user context.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs through improper sanitization of user-supplied input within the file management functionality of Expedition. Attackers can exploit this weakness by constructing malicious requests that target the application's file deletion endpoints, bypassing normal authentication and authorization checks. The www-data user context is significant because it typically represents a restricted system user with limited privileges, yet this vulnerability allows attackers to leverage these permissions to delete files that the web server process can access. The flaw likely resides in how the application processes file paths or directory traversal parameters, failing to properly validate or sanitize inputs before executing file system operations. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-22 - Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory and CWE-77 - Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in a Command, both of which relate to path traversal and command injection attack vectors.
The operational impact of CVE-2025-0105 is severe and multifaceted, potentially leading to complete system compromise or service disruption. An unauthenticated attacker with network access to the Expedition interface can delete critical system files, configuration files, or even application data that may result in application failure or complete system instability. The vulnerability creates a persistent threat where attackers can repeatedly exploit the flaw to delete files and potentially escalate their access to other system resources. In enterprise environments where Expedition is used for network security assessments, this vulnerability could be leveraged to compromise security infrastructure or to remove forensic evidence from system logs. The impact extends beyond immediate file deletion as attackers might target backup files, system binaries, or configuration data that could require extensive system restoration or reconfiguration efforts.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should implement immediate mitigations including network segmentation to restrict access to Expedition interfaces, deploying web application firewalls to monitor and filter malicious requests, and applying the vendor-provided patches or workarounds as soon as they become available. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1059 - Command and Scripting Interpreter and T1485 - Data Destruction, highlighting the potential for attackers to use this weakness as part of broader attack chains. Security teams should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify all instances of Expedition deployment and ensure proper access controls are implemented. System administrators should also review file system permissions and implement monitoring for unauthorized file deletion activities, particularly around www-data user operations. Additionally, the vulnerability underscores the importance of principle of least privilege implementation and regular security audits of web applications to prevent similar flaws in other system components.