CVE-2025-54832 in FOIAXpress Public Access Link
Summary
by MITRE • 07/31/2025
OPEXUS FOIAXpress Public Access Link (PAL), version v11.1.0, allows an authenticated user to add entries to the list of states and territories.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/12/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-54832 affects OPEXUS FOIAXpress Public Access Link (PAL) version v11.1.0, representing a significant access control weakness that could enable authenticated users to manipulate system state data. This issue stems from inadequate input validation and privilege escalation mechanisms within the application's administrative functionality. The flaw specifically allows authenticated users to add entries to the list of states and territories, which could potentially be exploited to gain unauthorized access to restricted system resources or manipulate critical operational data.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a failure in proper access control enforcement, where authenticated users should not possess the ability to modify system configuration data that affects the application's operational scope. This type of vulnerability typically arises from insufficient authorization checks during data modification operations, allowing users with basic authentication credentials to perform administrative actions beyond their intended privileges. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization issues in software systems, and represents a clear violation of the principle of least privilege that should govern all access control mechanisms.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability could enable attackers to expand the application's operational scope by introducing malicious or unauthorized state and territory entries into the system. Such modifications could potentially lead to data integrity issues, affect system availability, or provide attackers with additional attack vectors through the expanded state configuration. The ability to add entries to state and territory lists could also enable more sophisticated attacks such as data poisoning or the creation of unauthorized system states that might bypass security controls. This vulnerability particularly concerns systems that rely on geographic configuration data for access control decisions or operational routing.
The exploitation of this vulnerability requires only authenticated access, making it relatively accessible to threat actors who have obtained legitimate user credentials. Security practitioners should consider this vulnerability in the context of the MITRE ATT&CK framework, specifically under the privilege escalation and defense evasion techniques where attackers might leverage such weaknesses to expand their access or hide malicious activities within legitimate system configurations. Organizations should implement comprehensive monitoring of administrative operations and user activities related to state and territory modifications to detect potential exploitation attempts.
Recommended mitigations include implementing robust access control measures that enforce strict authorization checks before allowing any modifications to system configuration data, particularly state and territory lists. Organizations should deploy input validation mechanisms to ensure that all data modifications are properly authenticated and authorized, with logging and auditing capabilities that track all administrative operations. The application should enforce the principle of least privilege by ensuring that authenticated users cannot perform administrative functions without explicit authorization. Additionally, regular security assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar access control weaknesses, and the system should be updated to the latest version of FOIAXpress PAL that addresses this vulnerability.