CVE-2024-25641
Cacti ≤ 1.2.27
Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:HSummary
CVE-2024-25641 is a critical-severity Improper Input Validation (CWE-20) vulnerability in Cacti Cacti. Its CVSS base score is 9.1 (Critical).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploit Public-Facing Application (T1190); ranked in the top 0.3% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog; a public proof-of-concept is referenced.
The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to SA-11 (Developer Testing and Evaluation) and SI-10 (Information Input Validation) — see the control section below for these in your framework.
Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary
Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.
Cacti, an operational monitoring and fault management framework, contains an arbitrary file write vulnerability in versions prior to 1.2.27. The flaw resides in the import_package() function within lib/import.php, which processes XML data supplied through the Package Import feature. It accepts unvalidated filenames and file contents without filtering path traversal sequences, allowing writes to arbitrary locations under the Cacti base directory.
An authenticated user holding the Import Templates permission can exploit the issue by crafting a malicious package XML. This permits writing or overwriting files on the web server, including PHP scripts that enable remote code execution with the privileges of the web server process. The CVSS 9.1 score reflects the combination of network attack vector, high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, and scope change to the underlying system.
The official patch released in Cacti 1.2.27 addresses the vulnerability by adding proper validation and sanitization within the import logic. Security advisories, including the GitHub Security Advisory and distribution notices such as those from Fedora, recommend immediate upgrade to the fixed version and review of any imported packages.
The EPSS score has reached a peak of 0.8869 with a current value of 0.8819, indicating sustained exploitation interest following disclosure.
OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2024-22957
Vulnerability Data
Cacti provides an operational monitoring and fault management framework. Prior to version 1.2.27, an arbitrary file write vulnerability, exploitable through the "Package Import" feature, allows authenticated users having the "Import Templates" permission to execute arbitrary PHP code on the web…
more
server. The vulnerability is located within the `import_package()` function defined into the `/lib/import.php` script. The function blindly trusts the filename and file content provided within the XML data, and writes such files into the Cacti base path (or even outside, since path traversal sequences are not filtered). This can be exploited to write or overwrite arbitrary files on the web server, leading to execution of arbitrary PHP code or other security impacts. Version 1.2.27 contains a patch for this issue.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Control response
—
—
- 6 hardening rules · 3 OS baselines
—
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI
Developer testing and evaluation can discover missing input validation through analysis or test cases.
SI-10 directly requires validity checks on information inputs, structurally preventing improper or missing validation.
Requiring documented development standards and tools can embed input-validation practices into the engineering process.
Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Secure SDLC practices directly require and enforce input validation during development.
Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Testing against a defined set of requirements and using code review plus vulnerability scanning forces validation of inputs and handling of unanticipated conditions, reducing the chance that malformed data will be accepted.
Secure-coding guidelines and mandatory security testing (including code scans) compel developers to validate and sanitize inputs at design and implementation time, lowering the incidence of malformed or malicious data reaching downstream components.
Mandating input controls that include integrity checks and input validation ensures that untrusted data is examined before use, blocking the root cause of many injection and malformed-data weaknesses.
Security-by-design principles explicitly call for data validation and sanitization at every layer, reducing the chance that malformed or malicious input will be processed without scrutiny.
Requiring language-specific secure coding standards, peer review, SAST and documented mitigation of common programming errors forces validation of all inputs before they are trusted.
Regular automated validation of system software and data content, combined with scanning of all inbound files, enforces input validation at the boundary before untrusted content is processed.
Hardening callouts derived
Configuration rules from DISA STIG baselines that bear on weaknesses of the type cited by this CVE. Each rule is shown with the relationship its mapping actually records, against the CWE it was authored against. Derived via CVE→CWE over `controls_xwalks` (authoritative rows only; rows rated `none` are excluded).
RHEL 8 (1 rule)
- V-230265 RHEL 8 must prevent the installation of software, patches, service packs, device drivers, or operating system components of local packages without verification they have been digitally signed using a certificate that is issued by a Certificate Authority (CA) that is recognized and approved by the organization. prevents CWE-20