2025 was the year vulnerabilities stopped being warnings and became entry points.

Attackers no longer waited for missteps. They scanned continuously, weaponized within hours, and exploited with industrial precision. Firewalls became footholds. Update servers became weapons. Trusted software paths turned into silent corridors for intrusion.

This was not a story about zero-days alone — it was a story about familiar weaknesses exploited faster than defenders could react. Deserialization flaws reopened the door to remote code execution. Edge devices collapsed under memory corruption. Privilege escalation became routine, not exceptional. Even decade-old vulnerabilities resurfaced, not because they were clever, but because they were still there.

The Top 25 vulnerabilities of 2025 do not represent technical novelty or doesn’t follow any particualr order. They represent systemic failure — of patch velocity, of asset visibility, of trust assumptions that no longer hold. Each exploit in this list tells the same uncomfortable truth: attackers understand our architectures better than we secure them.

And the lesson is simple:
In 2025, the question was no longer “Are we vulnerable?”
It was “Which weakness will be exploited first?”

1. CVE-2025-55182 — React Server Components

Type: RCE (Deserialization)
CVSS: 10.0
MITRE CWE: CWE-502 – Deserialization of Untrusted Data

Explanation:
Unsafe deserialization in React Server Components allowed unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary code. Mass scanning targeted Next.js deployments, resulting in webshells and CI/CD compromise. Often compared to Log4Shell in scale and speed.

2. CVE-2025-59287 — Microsoft WSUS

Type: RCE (Deserialization)
CVSS: 9.8
MITRE CWE: CWE-502 – Deserialization of Untrusted Data

Explanation:
Attackers injected malicious update payloads into WSUS, achieving SYSTEM-level execution across enterprise fleets. This redefined patch infrastructure as Tier-0 security assets.

3. CVE-2025-54236 — Adobe Commerce (Magento)

Type: Template Injection → RCE
CVSS: 9.4
MITRE CWE: CWE-94 – Improper Control of Code Generation

Explanation:
Improper input handling in Magento templates enabled attackers to execute PHP code, leading to large-scale webshell deployment and payment skimming campaigns.

4. CVE-2025-5777 — Citrix NetScaler

Type: Memory Disclosure / Token Theft
CVSS: 9.3
MITRE CWE: CWE-200 – Exposure of Sensitive Information

Explanation:
Exploited by ArcaneDoor APT to leak authentication tokens directly from memory, bypassing MFA and enabling stealthy persistence in perimeter devices.

5. CVE-2024-3400 — Palo Alto PAN-OS

Type: Command Injection
CVSS: 9.8
MITRE CWE: CWE-77 – Command Injection

Explanation:
A long-lived exploitation staple for ransomware groups, allowing direct command execution on firewall management interfaces and rapid internal pivoting.

6. CVE-2025-12480 — Gladinet Triofox

Type: Access Control Bypass
CVSS: 9.1
MITRE CWE: CWE-284 – Improper Access Control

Explanation:
Attackers reused installation artifacts post-deployment to gain administrative access to enterprise file-sharing environments.

7. CVE-2025-10585 — Google Chrome (V8)

Type: Type Confusion
CVSS: 8.8
MITRE CWE: CWE-843 – Type Confusion

Explanation:
A Chrome zero-day exploited in the wild by advanced actors to escape browser sandboxes, primarily used in targeted espionage campaigns.

8. CVE-2025-41244 — VMware Aria / Tools

Type: Local Privilege Escalation
CVSS: 7.8
MITRE CWE: CWE-269 – Improper Privilege Management

Explanation:
Used by UNC5174 as a reliable post-compromise escalation method inside virtualized environments.

9. CVE-2025-32756 — Fortinet FortiVoice

Type: Buffer Overflow → RCE
CVSS: 9.8
MITRE CWE: CWE-120 – Classic Buffer Overflow

Explanation:
Malformed HTTP cookies triggered memory corruption, allowing remote attackers to fully compromise VoIP appliances rarely monitored by SOCs.

10. CVE-2024-21887 — Ivanti Connect Secure

Type: Authentication Bypass
CVSS: 9.4
MITRE CWE: CWE-287 – Improper Authentication

Explanation:
Enabled direct VPN access without credentials, frequently chained with lateral movement and credential dumping.

11. CVE-2025-62221 — Windows Cloud Files

Type: Elevation of Privilege
CVSS: 7.8
MITRE CWE: CWE-269 – Improper Privilege Management

Explanation:
A zero-day minifilter flaw allowed attackers to escalate from user to SYSTEM, becoming a preferred ransomware building block.

12. CVE-2025-27915 — Zimbra Collaboration

Type: Stored XSS
CVSS: 6.1
MITRE CWE: CWE-79 – Cross-Site Scripting

Explanation:
Malicious ICS attachments enabled mailbox takeover, demonstrating how “medium” bugs become critical in email platforms.

13. CVE-2025-9242 — WatchGuard Firebox

Type: Out-of-Bounds Write → RCE
CVSS: 9.8
MITRE CWE: CWE-787 – Out-of-Bounds Write

Explanation:
Memory corruption in firewall firmware enabled reliable remote code execution on perimeter devices.

14. CVE-2025-53690 — Sitecore XM / XP

Type: Deserialization → RCE
CVSS: 9.8
MITRE CWE: CWE-502 – Deserialization of Untrusted Data

Explanation:
Allowed attackers to inject executable payloads into CMS environments, resulting in widespread enterprise site compromise.

15. CVE-2025-32701 — Windows CLFS

Type: Use-After-Free → EoP
CVSS: 7.8
MITRE CWE: CWE-416 – Use After Free

Explanation:
A kernel-level flaw heavily abused as a post-exploitation primitive in ransomware chains.

16. CVE-2024-21762 — Fortinet FortiGate

Type: RCE / SSRF
CVSS: 9.6
MITRE CWE: CWE-918 – Server-Side Request Forgery

Explanation:
Persistent scanning and exploitation of unpatched edge devices allowed attackers to pivot into internal networks.

17. CVE-2025-64446 — FortiWeb

Type: Path Traversal → Admin Creation
CVSS: 9.9
MITRE CWE: CWE-22 – Path Traversal

Explanation:
Attackers created rogue administrators, achieving silent, durable persistence on WAF appliances.

18. CVE-2025-61884 — Oracle E-Business Suite

Type: SSRF
CVSS: 8.2
MITRE CWE: CWE-918 – Server-Side Request Forgery

Explanation:
Enabled internal service access and ERP data exfiltration, carrying severe financial and compliance impact.

19. CVE-2021-21311 — Adminer

Type: SSRF
CVSS: 7.2
MITRE CWE: CWE-918 – Server-Side Request Forgery

Explanation:
A legacy flaw still exploited in cloud environments to access internal databases and metadata services.

20. CVE-2014-6278 — GNU Bash (Shellshock)

Type: Command Injection
CVSS: 9.8
MITRE CWE: CWE-77 – Command Injection

Explanation:
Still exploited in embedded systems and appliances, proving legacy vulnerabilities never truly disappear.

21. CVE-2025-24813 — Apache Tomcat

Type: RCE (Deserialization / PUT Abuse)
CVSS: 9.8
MITRE CWE: CWE-502 – Deserialization of Untrusted Data

Explanation:
Allowed attackers to write executable content and gain remote execution on legacy Java servers.

22. CVE-2025-21421 — Linux Kernel (Netfilter)

Type: Use-After-Free → Privilege Escalation
CVSS: 7.8
MITRE CWE: CWE-416 – Use After Free

Explanation:
Used in container escapes and cloud VM privilege escalation after initial access.

23. CVE-2025-30078 — Jenkins Core / Plugins

Type: Improper Authorization → RCE
CVSS: 9.0
MITRE CWE: CWE-284 – Improper Access Control

Explanation:
Attackers executed unauthorized build steps, stealing secrets and poisoning CI/CD pipelines.

24. CVE-2025-23397 — Microsoft Exchange

Type: SSRF → Auth Bypass Chain
CVSS: 9.1
MITRE CWE: CWE-918 – Server-Side Request Forgery

Explanation:
Enabled attackers to reach internal Exchange services, bypass authentication, and access mailboxes.

25. CVE-2025-26144 — OpenSSH

Type: Integer Overflow → Auth Logic Abuse
CVSS: 8.1
MITRE CWE: CWE-190 – Integer Overflow or Wraparound

Explanation:
A subtle arithmetic flaw impacting authentication paths in one of the most trusted infrastructure components.

Final Insight

These 25 vulnerabilities map almost perfectly to MITRE Top 25 weakness classes, proving one thing clearly:

Attackers don’t need new bugs — they just need repeatable ones.