CVE-2025-25012 impacts Kibana

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CVE-2025-25012 is a critical vulnerability identified in Elastic Kibana, a widely used data visualization and exploration platform for Elasticsearch. This vulnerability has been assigned a CVSS score of 9.9, reflecting its critical severity.

Overview of CVE-2025-25012

Description

• Vulnerability Type: Prototype Pollution
• Impact: This vulnerability allows attackers to execute arbitrary code on affected systems by exploiting a flaw in Kibana’s file upload handler and HTTP request processing.
• Affected Versions:
• Kibana 8.15.0 to 8.17.0: Exploitable by users with the Viewer role.
• Kibana 8.17.1 and 8.17.2: Exploitable by users with specific privileges, including:
  • fleet-all
  • integrations-all
  • actions:execute-advanced-connectors

Exploitation

• Attack Vector: The vulnerability stems from improper control of prototype-based attribute modifications (CWE-1321). Attackers can inject malicious payloads into JavaScript object prototypes via crafted file uploads and HTTP requests.
• Potential Outcomes:
  • Remote Code Execution (RCE): Full control over Kibana servers.
  • Data Breaches: Unauthorized access to Elasticsearch clusters, API keys, and sensitive logs.
  • Lateral Movement: Compromised Kibana instances could serve as entry points into broader infrastructure.

Mitigation Measures

Immediate Actions

• Upgrade to Kibana 8.17.3:

• Elastic has addressed this vulnerability in version 8.17.3. Administrators are strongly urged to update this version immediately.

• Temporary Mitigation:

• For environments where immediate patching is not feasible, disable the Integration Assistant feature by adding the following line to the kibana.yml configuration file:
  xpack.integration_assistant.enabled: false

Long-Term Strategies

• Regular Patch Management: Ensure timely updates for all software components to mitigate vulnerabilities.
• Access Control: Limit user roles and privileges to minimize the risk of exploitation.
• Monitoring and Detection: Deploy security tools to monitor for unusual activity, such as unauthorized file uploads or HTTP requests.

Final Thoughts

CVE-2025-25012 is a critical vulnerability that poses significant risks to organizations using Elastic Kibana. By understanding the nature of this flaw and implementing the recommended mitigation measures, organizations can protect their systems from potential exploitation.