CVE-2018-25193
Published: 06 March 2026
Summary
CVE-2018-25193 is a high-severity Initialization of a Resource with an Insecure Default (CWE-1188) vulnerability. Its CVSS base score is 7.5 (High).
Operationally, ranked at the 33.8th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog; a public proof-of-concept is referenced.
Threat & Defense Details
Likely Mitigating ControlsAI
Per-CVE control mapping for this CVE has not run yet; the list below is derived from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry.
Requires documented secure initialization practices and avoidance of insecure defaults in configuration baselines.
Reviewing and updating baseline when components are installed or upgraded prevents initialization with insecure defaults.
Requiring explicit configuration to minimal functionality overrides insecure defaults that would otherwise enable excess capabilities.
Tailoring replaces or augments insecure default initializations with system-specific values and compensating controls before deployment.
Central configuration overrides or replaces insecure default initializations that would otherwise be left unchanged on each system.
SCRM practices during acquisition and configuration management address insecure default initializations shipped by vendors.
Scans detect resources initialized with insecure defaults that create exploitable conditions.
Instruction on secure initialization of security controls prevents leaving resources with insecure defaults after installation.
NVD Description
Mongoose Web Server 6.9 contains a denial of service vulnerability that allows remote attackers to crash the service by establishing multiple socket connections. Attackers can repeatedly create connections to the default port and send malformed data to exhaust server resources…
more
and cause service unavailability.
Deeper analysisAI
CVE-2018-25193 is a denial of service vulnerability in Mongoose Web Server version 6.9. The flaw enables remote attackers to crash the service by establishing multiple socket connections to the default port and sending malformed data, which exhausts server resources and leads to service unavailability. It is classified under CWE-1188 with a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.5 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H), highlighting its high impact on availability.
Remote, unauthenticated attackers can exploit this vulnerability over the network with low complexity and no user interaction required. By repeatedly creating socket connections and transmitting malformed data, they can overwhelm the server, causing it to crash and deny service to legitimate users.
Advisories detail the issue, including a Vulncheck advisory on the denial of service via socket connections and an Exploit-DB entry (https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/45819) demonstrating exploitation. Practitioners should consult these references for additional technical details and mitigation guidance, such as updating to a patched version of Mongoose if available.
Details
- CWE(s)