Cyber Resilience

CVE-2025-2003

Access Control in Devolutions Server ≤ 2024.3.13.0

Published
05 March 2025
Modified
28 March 2025
Patch / advisory
CVSS Score v3.1 7.1
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:L
EPSS Score 0.0043 35th percentile
Risk Priority 54 floored blend · peak EPSS

CVSS and EPSS are reproduced from their sources (NVD, FIRST EPSS). Risk Priority is our own derived reading, not an NVD score.

Summary

CVE-2025-2003 is a high-severity Incorrect Authorization (CWE-863) vulnerability in Devolutions Devolutions Server. Its CVSS base score is 7.1 (High).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploitation for Privilege Escalation (T1068); ranked at the 35th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to AC-24 (Access Control Decisions) and AC-25 (Reference Monitor) — 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.

CVE-2025-2003 is an incorrect authorization vulnerability (CWE-863) affecting PAM vaults in Devolutions Server versions 2024.3.12 and earlier. The flaw allows an authenticated user to bypass the 'add in root' permission, enabling unauthorized actions within the vault structure. It carries a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.1 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:L), indicating high integrity impact with network accessibility and low prerequisites.

An attacker requires only low-privileged authenticated access (PR:L) to exploit this vulnerability remotely over the network, with low attack complexity and no user interaction needed. Exploitation bypasses the 'add in root' permission in PAM vaults, allowing the attacker to perform unauthorized additions or modifications at the root level, resulting in high integrity compromise and low availability impact, while confidentiality remains unaffected.

Devolutions has issued security advisory DEVO-2025-0003, available at https://devolutions.net/security/advisories/DEVO-2025-0003/, which provides details on the vulnerability. Security practitioners should consult this advisory for guidance on available patches and mitigation measures.

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

Incorrect authorization in PAM vaults in Devolutions Server 2024.3.12 and earlier allows an authenticated user to bypass the 'add in root' permission.

CWE(s)

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1068 Exploitation for Privilege Escalation Privilege Escalation
Adversaries may exploit software vulnerabilities in an attempt to elevate privileges.
T1548 Abuse Elevation Control Mechanism Privilege Escalation
Adversaries may circumvent mechanisms designed to control privilege elevation to gain higher-level permissions.
T1548.002 Bypass User Account Control Privilege Escalation
Adversaries may bypass UAC mechanisms to elevate process privileges on system.
T1548.003 Sudo and Sudo Caching Privilege Escalation
Adversaries may perform sudo caching and/or use the sudoers file to elevate privileges.
T1190 Exploit Public-Facing Application Initial Access
Adversaries may attempt to exploit a weakness in an Internet-facing host or system to initially access a network.
T1210 Exploitation of Remote Services Lateral Movement
Adversaries may exploit remote services to gain unauthorized access to internal systems once inside of a network.
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2023-1603Same product: Devolutions Devolutions Server
CVE-2024-12148Same product: Devolutions Devolutions Server
CVE-2024-12196Same product: Devolutions Devolutions Server
CVE-2024-2915Same product: Devolutions Devolutions Server
CVE-2026-1007Same product: Devolutions Devolutions Server
CVE-2026-1768Same product: Devolutions Devolutions Server
CVE-2026-15641Same product: Devolutions Devolutions Server
CVE-2024-6512Same product: Devolutions Devolutions Server
CVE-2023-0952Same product: Devolutions Devolutions Server
CVE-2026-14536Same product: Devolutions Devolutions Server

Affected Assets

devolutions
devolutions server
≤ 2024.3.13.0

Mitigating Controls

Control response

Prevent
Stop it (NIST 800-53)

Detect
Catch it (NIST detect / respond)

Harden
Shrink the surface (DISA STIG)
  • 5 hardening rules · 3 OS baselines
Validate
Prove the fix (OWASP ASVS)

Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI

AC-3 directly requires correct enforcement of authorization decisions on every access request, structurally preventing incorrect checks.

AC-24 ensures access-control decisions are made and applied consistently, reducing the chance of an incorrect authorization result.

A reference monitor that is always invoked and tamper-proof forces every authorization decision through a verified, correct path.

Least-privilege assignments shrink the set of authorizations that must be checked correctly, limiting exposure to flawed checks.

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.

PR.AA-05 mostly match
prevents

Defining, enforcing, and reviewing access authorizations and least privilege directly prevents incorrect authorization checks.

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.

prevents

Requiring consistency between access rights and classification plus formal approval steps ensures that the authorization logic correctly distinguishes between entities that should and should not be granted access.

prevents

Enforcing policy-driven approval and role-change reviews stops incorrect or stale authorization decisions from remaining in effect after job changes or terminations.

prevents

By tying access rights to identity, device, location and classification, the control reduces the likelihood that an authorization decision will be based on an incorrect or bypassed policy.

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).

Oracle Linux 8 (2 rules)
  • V-248581 OL 8 must require users to provide a password for privilege escalation. prevents CWE-863
  • V-252656 The OL 8 operating system must not be configured to bypass password requirements for privilege escalation. prevents CWE-863
RHEL 7 (1 rule)
  • V-204430 The Red Hat Enterprise Linux operating system must be configured so that users must re-authenticate for privilege escalation. prevents CWE-863
RHEL 8 (1 rule)
  • V-251712 The RHEL 8 operating system must not be configured to bypass password requirements for privilege escalation. prevents CWE-863

References