CVE-2025-65713 in Home Assistant
Summary
by MITRE • 12/23/2025
Home Assistant Core before v2025.8.0 is vulnerable to Directory Traversal. The Downloader integration does not fully validate file paths during concatenation, leaving a path traversal vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/24/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-65713 affects Home Assistant Core versions prior to v2025.8.0 and represents a critical directory traversal flaw within the Downloader integration. This security weakness stems from insufficient validation of file paths during the concatenation process, creating an exploitable condition that allows attackers to access arbitrary files on the system. The Downloader integration is designed to fetch files from remote sources and store them locally, making it a potential attack vector for unauthorized access to sensitive system resources. The vulnerability manifests when user-supplied input is directly concatenated with hardcoded path components without proper sanitization or validation checks.
From a technical perspective, this directory traversal vulnerability operates by manipulating file path parameters to escape the intended download directory and access files outside of the designated scope. The flaw occurs during the path construction phase where the system fails to properly validate or sanitize user input before combining it with system paths. This type of vulnerability falls under CWE-22 - Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory, which is a well-documented weakness in software security that enables attackers to traverse directory structures beyond intended boundaries. The vulnerability allows for arbitrary file read access, potentially exposing configuration files, authentication tokens, or other sensitive data stored on the system.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it could enable attackers to escalate privileges or execute malicious code through the downloaded files. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to access system configuration files, database credentials, or other sensitive information that might be stored in accessible directories. The Downloader integration's functionality makes it particularly dangerous since it operates with the privileges of the Home Assistant service, potentially allowing full system compromise if the downloaded files are executed or if sensitive configuration data is exposed. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1083 - File and Directory Discovery, where adversaries attempt to gather information about file systems and directories to identify valuable targets for further exploitation.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2025-65713 should prioritize upgrading to Home Assistant Core version v2025.8.0 or later, which includes proper path validation and sanitization mechanisms. Organizations should also implement network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of the Home Assistant instance to untrusted networks. Additional defensive measures include monitoring for unusual file access patterns, implementing strict input validation for all user-supplied data, and regularly reviewing system logs for potential exploitation attempts. The fix implemented in the patched version likely includes proper path normalization, absolute path validation, and sanitization of user input before path concatenation operations. Security teams should also consider implementing automated vulnerability scanning and continuous monitoring to detect similar issues in other integrations or components that might be vulnerable to path traversal attacks.