CVE-2025-12657 in Server
Summary
by MITRE • 11/03/2025
The KMIP response parser built into mongo binaries is overly tolerant of certain malformed packets, and may parse them into invalid objects. Later reads of this object can result in read access violations.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/12/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-12657 resides within the Key Management Interchange Protocol response parser embedded in mongo database binaries. This flaw represents a classic case of insufficient input validation where the parser exhibits excessive tolerance for malformed network packets that should be rejected outright. The issue manifests when the KMIP parser encounters improperly formatted data structures that deviate from the expected protocol specifications, yet instead of gracefully failing or rejecting the malformed input, the parser attempts to process these invalid packets into internal data objects.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate boundary checking and object validation within the KMIP response handling code path. When malformed packets are received, the parser continues processing without proper sanitization, resulting in the creation of invalid internal objects that contain corrupted or uninitialized memory references. These malformed objects subsequently trigger memory access violations during later read operations, creating potential avenues for denial of service or information disclosure attacks. The vulnerability specifically affects the parsing logic that handles KMIP protocol responses, which are used for key management and cryptographic operations within the mongo database environment.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple service disruption, as it creates potential security implications for database systems relying on KMIP for encryption key management. Attackers could potentially exploit this weakness by sending carefully crafted malformed KMIP responses to mongo servers, leading to memory corruption that might result in application crashes or, in more severe cases, could be leveraged to extract sensitive information from memory. The vulnerability affects systems where mongo is configured to handle KMIP protocol communications, particularly those implementing encryption key management features. This flaw aligns with CWE-129, which addresses improper validation of input boundaries, and represents a memory safety issue that could be exploited through the ATT&CK technique of Resource Exhaustion or Memory Corruption.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2025-12657 should prioritize immediate patching of affected mongo database versions, as this addresses the root cause of the overly permissive parsing behavior. Organizations should also implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of mongo instances to untrusted networks, particularly those handling KMIP communications. Monitoring and logging should be enhanced to detect unusual patterns in KMIP protocol handling, including malformed packet detection. Additionally, defensive programming practices should be enforced in custom applications that interact with mongo's KMIP functionality, including implementing proper input validation and error handling mechanisms. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of robust input validation in network protocol implementations, particularly for cryptographic systems where malformed inputs could lead to security-critical memory corruption issues.