CVE-2025-26354
Published: 12 February 2025
Summary
CVE-2025-26354 is a high-severity Path Traversal: '.../...//' (CWE-35) vulnerability in Q-Free Maxtime. Its CVSS base score is 7.2 (High).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploitation for Privilege Escalation (T1068); ranked in the top 15.7% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
The strongest mitigations our analysis identified are NIST 800-53 SI-10 (Information Input Validation) and SI-2 (Flaw Remediation).
Threat & Defense at a Glance
Threat & Defense Details
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5)AI
Directly prevents path traversal attacks by enforcing validation of input parameters in the copy endpoint to block crafted requests that overwrite sensitive files.
Addresses the vulnerability through timely flaw remediation, such as applying patches for the path traversal issue in maxtime/api/database/database.lua.
Mitigates exploitation risk by enforcing least privilege, limiting the number of high-privilege (PR:H) authenticated users able to access and abuse the vulnerable copy endpoint.
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise TechniquesAI
Why these techniques?
Path traversal in the API copy endpoint enables authenticated remote file overwrite on sensitive files, facilitating exploitation of public-facing application (T1190), privilege escalation (T1068), and stored data manipulation via corruption (T1565.001).
NVD Description
A CWE-35 "Path Traversal" in maxtime/api/database/database.lua (copy endpoint) in Q-Free MaxTime less than or equal to version 2.11.0 allows an authenticated remote attacker to overwrite sensitive files via crafted HTTP requests.
Deeper analysisAI
CVE-2025-26354 is a path traversal vulnerability (CWE-35) in the copy endpoint of maxtime/api/database/database.lua within Q-Free MaxTime versions less than or equal to 2.11.0. This flaw enables an authenticated remote attacker to overwrite sensitive files by sending crafted HTTP requests, potentially leading to unauthorized modifications in the system's file structure. The vulnerability received a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.2 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H), indicating high severity due to its network accessibility, low attack complexity, and significant impacts on confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
Exploitation requires high privileges (PR:H), meaning only authenticated users with elevated access, such as administrators, can target the endpoint. A successful attack involves crafting HTTP requests that traverse directory paths to overwrite critical files, which could result in data corruption, privilege escalation, or system compromise depending on the targeted files. The unchanged scope (S:U) suggests the impact remains within the vulnerable component without lateral movement to other systems.
Mitigation details are outlined in the advisory published by Nozomi Networks Labs at https://www.nozominetworks.com/labs/vulnerability-advisories-cve-2025-26354, which was referenced alongside the CVE publication on 2025-02-12. Security practitioners should consult this advisory for patching instructions or workarounds specific to Q-Free MaxTime deployments.
Details
- CWE(s)