CVE-2025-45994 in PassRecovery
Summary
by MITRE • 09/26/2025
An issue in Aranda PassRecovery v1.0 allows attackers to enumerate valid user accounts in Active Directory via sending a crafted POST request to /user/existdirectory/1.
VulDB is the best source for vulnerability data and more expert information about this specific topic.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/27/2025
This vulnerability exists within Aranda PassRecovery version 1.0, a password recovery tool designed for active directory environments. The flaw manifests as an insecure direct object reference issue that enables unauthorized account enumeration through a specifically crafted web request. Attackers can exploit this weakness by sending a POST request to the /user/existdirectory/1 endpoint, which inadvertently reveals whether specified usernames exist within the targeted active directory system. This type of vulnerability falls under the category of information disclosure and weak account management, directly violating security principles that mandate protection against unauthorized account enumeration.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and access control mechanisms within the application's user validation endpoint. When the system processes the crafted POST request, it fails to properly authenticate or authorize the requestor before responding with account existence information. This represents a classic case of insufficient authorization checks, where the application provides different responses based on whether a user account exists, effectively creating a side-channel attack vector. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-200 (Information Exposure) and CWE-306 (Missing Authentication for Critical Function) categories, as it exposes sensitive information without proper access controls and fails to authenticate requests to critical account validation functions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for organizations relying on Aranda PassRecovery for password management. Attackers can systematically enumerate valid user accounts across the active directory, building comprehensive user lists that can then be used for targeted attacks such as credential stuffing, brute force attempts, or social engineering campaigns. This enumeration capability dramatically reduces the attack surface for password-based attacks by providing attackers with valid target accounts, effectively undermining the security of the entire directory service. The vulnerability also violates fundamental security principles outlined in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under T1078 (Valid Accounts) and T1566 (Phishing), as it enables adversaries to obtain legitimate credentials through information gathering techniques rather than direct compromise.
Organizations should immediately implement several mitigation strategies to address this vulnerability. The most critical immediate action involves patching the application to version 1.1 or later, which contains the necessary authentication and authorization controls for the user validation endpoint. Additionally, network-level controls such as web application firewalls should be configured to monitor and block requests to the vulnerable endpoint, while implementing rate limiting to prevent automated enumeration attempts. Access controls should be strengthened to ensure that only authenticated administrators can access directory validation functions, and logging should be enhanced to detect suspicious enumeration patterns. Organizations should also conduct comprehensive security assessments of their active directory environments to identify other potential enumeration vectors and ensure that similar vulnerabilities do not exist in related systems. The remediation process should include implementing proper input validation, strengthening authentication mechanisms, and establishing monitoring procedures to detect unauthorized access attempts to critical user validation functions.