CVE-2025-59714 in Grouper
Summary
by MITRE • 09/19/2025
In Internet2 Grouper 5.17.1 before 5.20.5, group admins who are not Grouper sysadmins can configure loader jobs.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/09/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-59714 affects the Internet2 Grouper 5.17.1 software version and earlier releases up to 5.20.4, presenting a significant privilege escalation risk within identity and access management systems. This issue stems from an improper access control mechanism that allows group administrators to configure loader jobs, which are typically restricted to system administrators only. The flaw exists in the authorization framework of the Grouper platform, which is widely used for managing digital identities and access control in enterprise and academic environments.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a breakdown in the role-based access control (RBAC) model that should normally prevent group administrators from performing system-level operations. Loader jobs in Grouper are designed to automate the import and synchronization of user data from external sources, and these operations often require elevated privileges to modify core system configurations. When group administrators can configure these jobs, they effectively gain the ability to execute arbitrary code or modify system parameters that should be restricted to privileged users. This represents a classic case of insufficient authorization checks, which aligns with CWE-285, the weakness related to insufficient authorization in access control systems.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is substantial as it enables malicious group administrators or attackers who have achieved group admin privileges to escalate their access within the system. This could lead to unauthorized data manipulation, privilege escalation to system administrator level, or the ability to modify critical system configurations that govern user access and group membership. The vulnerability particularly affects environments where Grouper is used for managing large-scale identity and access control systems, potentially compromising the integrity and confidentiality of sensitive user data and system configurations. Attackers could leverage this to gain persistent access or cause denial of service conditions by misconfiguring loader jobs.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate patching to versions 5.20.5 and later, which contain the necessary authorization fixes. Organizations should also implement strict monitoring of loader job configurations and access logs to detect unauthorized modifications. The principle of least privilege should be enforced more rigorously, ensuring that group administrators have access only to the specific functions required for their roles. Additionally, regular security audits of access control configurations and implementation of automated compliance checking tools can help prevent similar issues in the future. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper access control implementation and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 for Valid Accounts and T1543 for Create or Modify System Process, as it enables unauthorized system-level modifications through compromised administrative accounts. Organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation and additional monitoring controls around critical system configuration interfaces to detect and prevent unauthorized access attempts.