CVE-2025-20320 in Splunk
Summary
by MITRE • 07/07/2025
In Splunk Enterprise versions below 9.4.3, 9.3.5, 9.2.7 and 9.1.10, and Splunk Cloud Platform versions below 9.3.2411.107, 9.3.2408.117, and 9.2.2406.121, a low-privileged user that does not hold the "admin" or "power" Splunk roles could craft a malicious payload through the `User Interface - Views` configuration page that could potentially lead to a denial of service (DoS).The user could cause the DoS by exploiting a path traversal vulnerability that allows for deletion of arbitrary files within a Splunk directory. The vulnerability requires the low-privileged user to phish the administrator-level victim by tricking them into initiating a request within their browser. The low-privileged user should not be able to exploit the vulnerability at will.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/21/2025
This vulnerability exists within Splunk Enterprise and Splunk Cloud Platform installations where specific version ranges remain susceptible to path traversal exploitation. The flaw resides in the User Interface - Views configuration page functionality, which allows unauthorized file deletion operations through crafted payloads. The vulnerability affects systems running versions below 9.4.3, 9.3.5, 9.2.7, and 9.1.10 for Enterprise, and below 9.3.2411.107, 9.3.2408.117, and 9.2.2406.121 for Cloud Platform. This represents a critical security gap that could enable unauthorized file system manipulation by exploiting the path traversal mechanism.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and insufficient access controls within the Splunk web interface. When a low-privileged user crafts a malicious payload through the Views configuration page, the system fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input before processing file operations. This path traversal flaw allows the malicious payload to navigate beyond intended directories and execute file deletion commands against arbitrary locations within the Splunk installation directory structure. The vulnerability operates through a combination of insufficient parameter validation and improper privilege enforcement, creating a scenario where unauthorized operations can be performed through the web interface.
The operational impact of this vulnerability manifests primarily as a potential denial of service condition that could severely disrupt Splunk operations. An attacker capable of executing arbitrary file deletions could target critical configuration files, log files, or even executable components within the Splunk installation, potentially causing complete system outages. The DoS condition could be particularly devastating in production environments where Splunk serves as a critical data processing and monitoring platform, as it could result in immediate loss of monitoring capabilities and data integrity issues.
The exploitation of this vulnerability requires social engineering elements as the low-privileged user must successfully phish an administrator to initiate a request within their browser session. This requirement significantly limits the automatic exploitation potential but does not eliminate the threat entirely. The attack vector depends on the administrator being tricked into performing actions that trigger the vulnerable code path, making this a targeted attack rather than an automated exploitation scenario. This social engineering component aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566, which covers social engineering tactics for initial access. The vulnerability classification aligns with CWE-22 Path Traversal, which describes the weakness where untrusted input is used to construct file paths without proper validation, allowing attackers to access files outside the intended directory.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate version upgrades to patched releases, as these contain the necessary security fixes for the path traversal vulnerability. Organizations should also implement network segmentation to limit access to Splunk web interfaces and establish robust monitoring for unusual file system operations. Access controls should be reviewed to ensure that only authorized users can access sensitive configuration pages, and administrators should be trained to recognize phishing attempts. Additionally, implementing web application firewalls and input validation measures can provide additional layers of protection against similar vulnerabilities. The patched versions address the root cause by implementing proper input sanitization and access control enforcement within the affected web interface components, thereby eliminating the path traversal capability that enabled the arbitrary file deletion exploit.