CVE-2025-39552 in Zephyr Project Manager Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 04/16/2025
Missing Authorization vulnerability in Dylan James Zephyr Project Manager allows Exploiting Incorrectly Configured Access Control Security Levels. This issue affects Zephyr Project Manager: from n/a through 3.3.200.
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/16/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-39552 represents a critical missing authorization flaw within the Dylan James Zephyr Project Manager software ecosystem. This security weakness manifests as an incorrectly configured access control security level that permits unauthorized entities to exploit the system's protective mechanisms. The vulnerability impacts all versions of the Zephyr Project Manager from the initial release through version 3.3.200, indicating a prolonged period during which the software remained susceptible to this particular class of attack. The affected system operates within the realm of project management software where access control is paramount for maintaining data integrity and preventing unauthorized modifications to critical project information.
This missing authorization vulnerability directly maps to CWE-285, which specifically addresses improper authorization within software systems. The flaw occurs when the application fails to properly verify whether an authenticated user possesses the necessary privileges to perform specific operations or access particular resources. In the context of project management software, this could enable attackers to manipulate project timelines, modify resource allocations, alter task assignments, or access confidential project data that should be restricted to authorized personnel only. The vulnerability's persistence across multiple versions suggests that the underlying access control implementation contains fundamental design flaws rather than isolated coding errors.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure, potentially enabling attackers to disrupt project workflows and compromise the integrity of critical business operations. When unauthorized individuals gain access to project management systems, they can manipulate deadlines, alter resource planning, modify task dependencies, and potentially cause cascading effects throughout the entire project lifecycle. This capability represents a significant threat to organizational productivity and can result in financial losses, missed project milestones, and compromised stakeholder trust. The vulnerability's presence across multiple versions indicates that organizations utilizing affected software may have been unknowingly exposed to these risks for extended periods, potentially allowing attackers to establish persistent access within their environments.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate implementation of proper access control mechanisms and comprehensive security auditing of the affected systems. Organizations should implement role-based access controls that strictly enforce the principle of least privilege, ensuring that users can only access resources and perform operations commensurate with their assigned roles. The remediation process should include thorough code review and security testing to identify and address any additional access control vulnerabilities within the application. Additionally, system administrators should conduct regular security assessments to validate that access control configurations remain properly enforced and that no unauthorized modifications have been made to security settings. According to ATT&CK framework category T1078, which covers valid accounts and legitimate credentials, this vulnerability could be exploited to maintain persistent access through compromised authentication mechanisms, making immediate remediation essential for preventing long-term security compromise.