CVE-2025-34509
Published: 17 June 2025
Summary
CVE-2025-34509 is a high-severity Use of Hard-coded Credentials (CWE-798) vulnerability in Sitecore Experience Platform. Its CVSS base score is 7.5 (High).
Operationally, ranked in the top 4.9% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog; a public proof-of-concept is referenced.
Deeper analysis
Sitecore Experience Manager (XM) and Experience Platform (XP) versions 10.1 through 10.1.4 rev. 011974 PRE, all 10.2 releases, 10.3 through 10.3.3 rev. 011967 PRE, and 10.4 through 10.4.1 rev. 011941 PRE contain a hardcoded user account that permits unauthenticated remote access to an administrative API over HTTP. The flaw is tracked as CWE-798 and carries a CVSS 3.1 score of 7.5 reflecting network-accessible exploitation with no required credentials or user interaction and a direct impact on confidentiality.
An unauthenticated attacker can connect directly to the exposed administrative API using the embedded credentials, obtaining privileged access to management functions without any prior authentication step. This access can be leveraged to read sensitive configuration and data stored within the affected Sitecore instances.
Sitecore’s support article KB1003667 addresses the issue and directs customers to the appropriate patches or configuration changes for the listed versions. Independent analysis published by watchTowr Labs describes the hardcoded account as the initial component of a pre-authentication remote-code-execution chain affecting the Experience Platform.
EPSS for the CVE rose from a low baseline to a recorded peak of 0.2318 before settling at the current value of 0.1687, indicating that exploitation interest increased after public disclosure.
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2025-18524
Vulnerability details
Sitecore Experience Manager (XM) and Experience Platform (XP) versions 10.1 to 10.1.4 rev. 011974 PRE, all versions of 10.2, 10.3 to 10.3.3 rev. 011967 PRE, and 10.4 to 10.4.1 rev. 011941 PRE contain a hardcoded user account. Unauthenticated and remote…
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attackers can use this account to access administrative API over HTTP.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
No named actor attribution yet. ATT&CK technique mapping in progress for this CVE.
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Likely Mitigating Controls AI
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.
Enables users to notice when hard-coded credentials have been exploited for unauthorized access.
Security training explicitly warns against hard-coded credentials, lowering their use in systems.
Policy and procedures prohibit hard-coded credentials in favor of managed authentication.
External identity providers eliminate the need for hard-coded credentials in applications.
Changing default authenticators prior to first use and protecting content prevents use of hard-coded credentials.
Central credential stores and rotation policies remove the need for hard-coded credentials in configuration files or code.
Intelligence programs surface reports of campaigns that abuse hard-coded credentials in products, prompting removal or replacement and thereby reducing successful exploitation.
Planned investment enables secure credential storage and management systems instead of hard-coded credentials.