CVE-2025-6260

Critical

Published: 24 July 2025

Published

24 July 2025

Modified

15 April 2026

KEV Added

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Patch

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CVSS Score 9.8 CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS Score 0.0036 57.9th percentile

Risk Priority 20 60% EPSS · 20% KEV · 20% CVSS

Summary

CVE-2025-6260 is a critical-severity Missing Authentication for Critical Function (CWE-306) vulnerability in Cisa (inferred from references). Its CVSS base score is 9.8 (Critical).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploit Public-Facing Application (T1190); ranked in the top 42.1% 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 AC-14 (Permitted Actions Without Identification or Authentication) and AC-3 (Access Enforcement).

Threat & Defense at a Glance

What attackers do: exploitation maps to Exploit Public-Facing Application (T1190) and 1 other technique. What defenders deploy: see the NIST 800-53 controls recommended below.

Threat & Defense Details

Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5)AI

AC-14 Permitted Actions Without Identification or Authentication good match

prevent

Directly addresses the missing authentication for critical function (CWE-306) by restricting permitted actions without identification or authentication, preventing unauthenticated credential resets via web interface manipulation.

AC-3 Access Enforcement good match

prevent

Enforces approved access authorizations on the embedded web server, blocking unauthenticated attackers from manipulating elements to reset user credentials.

IA-8 Identification and Authentication (Non-organizational Users) good match

prevent

Requires unique identification and authentication for non-organizational users accessing the web server, mitigating unauthenticated local or remote exploitation.

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise TechniquesAI

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.

attack.mitre.org →

T1098 Account Manipulation Persistence

Adversaries may manipulate accounts to maintain and/or elevate access to victim systems.

attack.mitre.org →

Why these techniques?

Direct unauthenticated exploitation of public-facing embedded web server (T1190) enabling credential reset/account manipulation (T1098).

Confidence: HIGH · MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise v18.1

NVD Description

The embedded web server on the thermostat listed version ranges contain a vulnerability that allows unauthenticated attackers, either on the local area network or from the Internet via a router with port forwarding set up, to gain direct access to…

the thermostat's embedded web server and reset user credentials by manipulating specific elements of the embedded web interface.

Deeper analysisAI

CVE-2025-6260 is a critical vulnerability in the embedded web server on the thermostat across listed version ranges, stemming from CWE-306 (Missing Authentication for Critical Function). It enables unauthenticated attackers to gain direct access to the embedded web server and reset user credentials by manipulating specific elements of the embedded web interface. The issue carries a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H), reflecting its high severity due to network accessibility, low attack complexity, and significant impacts on confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

Unauthenticated attackers positioned on the local area network, or remotely from the Internet if the router has port forwarding configured, can exploit this vulnerability. Exploitation grants direct access to the web server, allowing credential resets that could compromise thermostat control, potentially enabling unauthorized environmental manipulations in affected environments.

Mitigation guidance is detailed in the CISA ICS Advisory ICSA-25-205-02, available at https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/ics-advisories/icsa-25-205-02.