CVE-2025-48828
Vbulletin 6.0.3
Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:HSummary
CVE-2025-48828 is a critical-severity Improper Protection of Alternate Path (CWE-424) vulnerability in Vbulletin Vbulletin. Its CVSS base score is 9.0 (Critical).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploit Public-Facing Application (T1190); ranked in the top 0.9% 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 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.
Certain vBulletin versions are affected by a vulnerability in the template engine that permits arbitrary PHP code execution through abuse of Template Conditionals. Attackers can bypass existing security checks by supplying template code that uses an alternative PHP function invocation syntax, such as the "var_dump"("test") form, rather than the standard call syntax that the checks expect.
Remote, unauthenticated attackers can exploit the flaw over the network to achieve code execution with high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The issue was exploited in the wild in May 2025, consistent with its CVSS 3.1 score of 9.0.
Public analyses at the referenced URLs document the bypass technique and its consequences but do not detail official patches or mitigation steps. The EPSS score rose from an initially low value to a peak of 0.8138 on 2026-04-21 before receding to the current 0.7368, indicating emerging exploitation interest after disclosure.
OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2025-28268
Vulnerability Data
Certain vBulletin versions might allow attackers to execute arbitrary PHP code by abusing Template Conditionals in the template engine. By crafting template code in an alternative PHP function invocation syntax, such as the "var_dump"("test") syntax, attackers can bypass security checks…
more
and execute arbitrary PHP code, as exploited in the wild in May 2025.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Control response
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- 6 hardening rules · 4 OS baselines
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Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI
Requiring access-control decisions to be applied to each request ensures no alternate path can bypass authorization checks.
A reference monitor that is always invoked by definition covers every possible path, eliminating the root cause of unprotected alternate paths.
Enforcing approved authorizations for every logical access request structurally blocks unprotected alternate paths to restricted resources.
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.
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.
Privileged access rights must be enforced on every possible route to privileged functions.
Security testing can discover unprotected alternate paths before release.
Information access restriction mechanisms must close all alternate paths to restricted data or functions.
Access control policy directly requires protection of all entry points to restricted functionality.
Managing access rights must cover every alternate path that could bypass intended restrictions.
Network security can limit some alternate paths but is not the primary control for application-level path protection.
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 9 (1 rule)
- V-271452 OL 9 must use a Linux Security Module configured to enforce limits on system services. prevents CWE-424
RHEL 9 (1 rule)
- V-258078 RHEL 9 must use a Linux Security Module configured to enforce limits on system services. prevents CWE-424
Ubuntu 22.04 (1 rule)
- V-260529 Ubuntu 22.04 LTS must be configured so that remote X connections are disabled, unless to fulfill documented and validated mission requirements. prevents CWE-424
Ubuntu 24.04 (1 rule)
- V-270708 Ubuntu 24.04 LTS must be configured so that remote X connections are disabled, unless to fulfill documented and validated mission requirements. prevents CWE-424