CVE-2025-24924 in Apollo
Summary
by MITRE • 03/05/2025
Certain functionality within GMOD Apollo does not require authentication when passed with an administrative username
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/03/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-24924 affects GMOD Apollo, a widely used genomic data visualization and analysis platform that enables researchers to explore and annotate genomic datasets. This security flaw represents a critical authentication bypass issue that undermines the platform's access control mechanisms and potentially exposes sensitive genomic information to unauthorized users. The vulnerability specifically manifests when administrative functionality is accessed through certain API endpoints or interface components that fail to properly validate user credentials, allowing any authenticated user to escalate privileges and execute administrative operations using a predefined administrative username.
This technical flaw constitutes a direct violation of the principle of least privilege and proper access control implementation, aligning with CWE-285 which addresses improper authorization in software systems. The vulnerability exists because the application's authentication logic does not adequately verify that the user attempting to perform administrative actions actually possesses the necessary privileges to do so. The system accepts administrative usernames without sufficient credential validation, creating a path for privilege escalation attacks that could result in complete system compromise. The flaw operates at the application layer and affects the platform's core security architecture, particularly impacting the authentication and authorization components that are fundamental to protecting sensitive genomic data.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple access control bypass, as it creates potential for significant data breaches and system compromise within research environments that handle highly sensitive genetic information. Unauthorized users could potentially modify or delete genomic datasets, alter annotation data, or access restricted system configurations that could compromise research integrity and data confidentiality. In academic and medical research settings where genomic data often contains personal health information and genetic predispositions, this vulnerability could lead to serious privacy violations and regulatory compliance issues under frameworks such as HIPAA and GDPR. The threat actors could exploit this vulnerability to gain persistent access to research databases, potentially affecting multiple research projects and compromising years of scientific work.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2025-24924 should focus on implementing robust authentication and authorization controls that properly validate user privileges before granting administrative access. Organizations should immediately apply patches or updates provided by GMOD to address the vulnerability and ensure that all administrative functions require proper credential verification and privilege checking. Security configurations should be reviewed to enforce strict access controls and implement multi-factor authentication for administrative accounts. Network segmentation and monitoring should be enhanced to detect unauthorized access attempts and privilege escalation activities. The implementation of proper logging and audit trails for administrative functions will aid in identifying potential exploitation attempts and maintaining compliance with security standards. This vulnerability also highlights the importance of regular security assessments and code reviews to identify similar authentication bypass issues within complex genomic analysis platforms that handle sensitive research data.