CVE-2025-25264 in CC100 0751-9x01
Summary
by MITRE • 06/16/2025
An unauthenticated remote attacker can trick an admin to visit a website containing malicious java script code. The current overly permissive CORS policy allows the attacker to obtain any files from the file system.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/21/2025
This vulnerability represents a critical security flaw in web application architecture that exploits overly permissive cross-origin resource sharing policies to enable unauthorized file system access. The weakness manifests through a combination of insufficient authentication mechanisms and flawed CORS configuration that permits malicious actors to bypass normal access controls. An attacker can craft a deceptive webpage that, when visited by an authenticated administrator, executes malicious javascript code capable of accessing sensitive files within the application's file system. The vulnerability stems from the application's failure to implement proper origin validation and access control measures, creating an attack surface that allows arbitrary file retrieval without proper authorization. This type of vulnerability directly maps to CWE-346 known as "Origin Validation Error" and falls under the ATT&CK technique T1078 for Valid Accounts and T1566 for Phishing. The flaw demonstrates a fundamental breakdown in the principle of least privilege where the application's CORS policy configuration grants excessive permissions to potentially malicious origins, enabling data exfiltration from the target system.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability relies on the attacker's ability to leverage the browser's CORS mechanism as an attack vector rather than a security control. When an administrator visits the malicious website, the embedded javascript code exploits the permissive CORS policy to make requests to the vulnerable application's endpoints. These requests can then access files that would normally be restricted due to proper access controls, as the CORS policy allows cross-origin requests from the attacker's domain. The vulnerability does not require authentication to the target application itself but instead exploits the trust relationship established by the CORS policy to gain unauthorized access to file system resources. This attack pattern represents a sophisticated exploitation technique that demonstrates how misconfigured security controls can create unexpected attack vectors, particularly when authentication and authorization mechanisms are properly implemented but cross-origin policies are not properly enforced. The vulnerability affects applications that use CORS as a security control without proper validation of the requesting origin.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft to encompass potential system compromise and business disruption. Administrators who visit malicious websites become unwitting participants in attacks that can result in the exposure of sensitive configuration files, user credentials, application source code, and other confidential data stored on the file system. The attack requires minimal technical expertise from the attacker, as it relies on social engineering to trick administrators into visiting compromised websites rather than requiring advanced exploitation techniques. This makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous as it can be exploited at scale through phishing campaigns or compromised advertising networks. Organizations may experience significant regulatory and compliance implications, as unauthorized access to file system resources often constitutes data breaches under privacy regulations such as gdpr, hipaa, and pci dss. The vulnerability can also enable further attacks by providing attackers with information about the target system architecture, application configuration, and potential weaknesses for additional exploitation attempts.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address both the immediate CORS policy misconfiguration and broader security architecture issues. Organizations should implement strict origin validation for CORS requests, ensuring that only explicitly trusted origins are permitted to access application resources. This includes configuring the Access-Control-Allow-Origin header with specific domain values rather than wildcard patterns or null origins. Additionally, implementing proper authentication and authorization controls for file system access operations is essential, ensuring that even if CORS policies are bypassed, unauthorized access to sensitive resources remains impossible. The implementation of content security policies and secure coding practices should be enforced to prevent script injection and reduce the attack surface available to malicious actors. Regular security testing, including CORS policy reviews and penetration testing, should be conducted to identify and remediate similar misconfigurations. Organizations should also implement monitoring and alerting mechanisms to detect suspicious cross-origin requests and unauthorized file access attempts. The solution approach aligns with security frameworks such as owasp top ten and nist cybersecurity framework, emphasizing the importance of proper access control and secure configuration management. Regular security awareness training for administrators can help reduce the risk of successful social engineering attacks that exploit this vulnerability.