CVE-2025-3085 in Server
Summary
by MITRE • 04/01/2025
A MongoDB server under specific conditions running on Linux with TLS and CRL revocation status checking enabled, fails to check the revocation status of the intermediate certificates in the peer's certificate chain. In cases of MONGODB-X509, which is not enabled by default, this may lead to improper authentication. This issue may also affect intra-cluster authentication. This issue affects MongoDB Server v5.0 versions prior to 5.0.31, MongoDB Server v6.0 versions prior to 6.0.20, MongoDB Server v7.0 versions prior to 7.0.16 and MongoDB Server v8.0 versions prior to 8.0.4. Required Configuration : MongoDB Server must be running on Linux Operating Systems and CRL revocation status checking must be enabled
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/24/2025
This vulnerability represents a critical certificate validation flaw in MongoDB server implementations that undermines the integrity of TLS-based authentication mechanisms. The issue manifests specifically when MongoDB servers operate on Linux platforms with TLS enabled and Certificate Revocation List (CRL) checking activated, creating a scenario where the server fails to properly validate intermediate certificates within the peer's certificate chain. This represents a significant deviation from standard security practices and violates fundamental principles of certificate chain validation as defined in industry standards such as x509 certificate validation protocols and secure communication frameworks. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it affects multiple major MongoDB versions including 5.0, 6.0, 7.0, and 8.0, indicating a widespread impact across the product lifecycle and suggesting that this flaw has persisted through several major releases.
The technical flaw stems from an incomplete certificate chain validation process that specifically neglects to verify the revocation status of intermediate certificates during TLS handshakes. When MONGODB-X509 authentication is enabled, which is not the default configuration but represents a common security enhancement, this validation gap creates opportunities for attackers to exploit the system using revoked intermediate certificates that should have been rejected. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-295, which addresses improper certificate validation, and can be classified under ATT&CK technique T1552.001 for credentials from password storage, particularly when the authentication mechanism is compromised through certificate manipulation. The failure to check intermediate certificate revocation status creates a trust boundary violation where the server accepts connections from peers whose certificate chains contain compromised intermediate certificates, potentially allowing unauthorized access to database resources.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple authentication failures to encompass potential data compromise and system infiltration scenarios. When intra-cluster authentication is affected, it means that internal MongoDB components may be vulnerable to man-in-the-middle attacks or unauthorized access attempts from compromised nodes within the same cluster. This creates a particularly dangerous scenario for distributed MongoDB deployments where multiple servers communicate using TLS with certificate-based authentication. The vulnerability essentially allows attackers to bypass certificate validation controls that are fundamental to maintaining secure communication channels between MongoDB instances, potentially enabling them to establish unauthorized connections or manipulate database communications. This represents a significant risk to data confidentiality and integrity, particularly in environments where MongoDB is used for sensitive data storage and processing.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should prioritize immediate mitigation through version upgrades to the patched releases specified in the advisory, which include MongoDB Server v5.0.31, v6.0.20, v7.0.16, and v8.0.4. Additionally, administrators should carefully review their certificate management practices and ensure that CRL checking is properly configured and monitored. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of comprehensive certificate validation procedures and highlights the need for organizations to maintain robust certificate lifecycle management practices. Security teams should implement monitoring for unauthorized certificate usage patterns and consider implementing additional authentication layers to compensate for the reduced certificate validation strength. This vulnerability also underscores the necessity of regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning to identify similar gaps in certificate validation processes across all TLS-enabled services within the organization's infrastructure.