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April 7, 2025
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How to Fix CVE-2025-22457: Critical Stack-Based Buffer Overflow in Ivanti Network Security Products?
Ivanti network security products are facing a critical security vulnerability that demands immediate attention from security professionals. This article provides a comprehensive overview of CVE-2025-22457, a stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability affecting Ivanti Connect Secure, Ivanti Policy Secure, and Ivanti ZTA Gateways. We will delve into the vulnerability's details, potential impact, affected products, and, most importantly, the steps required to remediate it. This guide aims to equip DevSecOps, application security, and security operations teams with the necessary information to mitigate this threat effectively.
A Short Introduction to Ivanti Network Security Products
Ivanti offers a suite of network security solutions designed to provide secure access and protect organizations from evolving cyber threats. These products include:
Ivanti Connect Secure: A VPN solution that provides secure remote access to corporate resources.
Ivanti Policy Secure: A network access control (NAC) solution that enforces security policies and controls access to the network.
Ivanti ZTA Gateways: Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) gateways that provide secure access to applications based on identity and context.
These products are critical components of many organizations' security infrastructure, making it essential to address vulnerabilities promptly.
Summary of CVE-2025-22457
CVE ID: CVE-2025-22457
Description: Stack-based Buffer Overflow in Ivanti Connect Secure, Ivanti Policy Secure, and Ivanti ZTA Gateways.
CVSS Score: 9.0 (Critical)
CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
CVE-2025-22457 is a stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability present in specific versions of Ivanti Connect Secure, Ivanti Policy Secure, and Ivanti ZTA Gateways. This flaw arises from insufficient bounds checking when handling input data, potentially allowing a remote, unauthenticated attacker to overwrite parts of the stack memory. Successful exploitation can lead to arbitrary code execution with elevated privileges. The vulnerability's high CVSS score reflects the potential for significant impact and the relative ease with which it can be exploited, especially considering it does not require user interaction. The vulnerability has been added to the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list, indicating active exploitation in the wild.
Impact of CVE-2025-22457
The successful exploitation of CVE-2025-22457 poses a significant threat to organizations utilizing the affected Ivanti products. A remote, unauthenticated attacker can potentially achieve full remote code execution without any user interaction. This could allow attackers to gain complete control over the affected network security appliances, leading to a complete compromise of the system.
The impact includes:
Confidentiality Breach: Sensitive data stored on or transmitted through the affected systems could be exposed.
Integrity Compromise: System files and configurations could be modified, leading to instability or malicious behavior.
Availability Disruption: The affected systems could be rendered unusable, disrupting critical business operations.
Lateral Movement: Attackers could use the compromised systems as a springboard to gain access to other internal resources.
Given the high potential for damage and the active exploitation of this vulnerability, it is crucial to take immediate action to mitigate the risk. Malware families such as TRAILBLAZE and BRUSHFIRE have been known to weaponize this vulnerability and Threat Actor UTA0178 has been identified as exploiting it.
Products Affected by CVE-2025-22457
The following Ivanti products and versions are affected by CVE-2025-22457:
| Product | Affected Versions | Fixed Versions |
|---|---|---|
| Ivanti Connect Secure | Before 22.7R2.6 | 22.7R2.6 or later |
| Ivanti Policy Secure | Before 22.7R1.4 | 22.7R1.4 or later |
| Ivanti ZTA Gateways | Before 22.8R2.2 | 22.8R2.2 or later |
It is essential to verify the specific versions of Ivanti products running in your environment and upgrade them if they fall within the affected range.
How to Check If Your Product is Vulnerable?
Determining if your Ivanti products are vulnerable requires a few simple checks:
Version Verification: Log in to the administrative interface of your Ivanti Connect Secure, Ivanti Policy Secure, or Ivanti ZTA Gateway. Navigate to the "System Information" or "About" section to identify the installed version. Compare the version number against the "Affected Versions" listed above.
Network Monitoring: Monitor network traffic for suspicious activity, such as unexpected connections or unusual data transfers to and from your Ivanti appliances.
Security Audits: Conduct regular security audits and vulnerability assessments to identify potential weaknesses in your network infrastructure, including outdated software versions.
Intrusion Detection/Prevention Systems (IDS/IPS): Ensure your IDS/IPS solutions have the latest signatures and rules to detect and block attempts to exploit CVE-2025-22457.
How to Fix CVE-2025-22457?
The primary remediation strategy for CVE-2025-22457 is to upgrade your Ivanti products to the fixed versions.
Upgrade to Fixed Versions:
Ivanti Connect Secure: Upgrade to version 22.7R2.6 or later.
Ivanti Policy Secure: Upgrade to version 22.7R1.4 or later.
Ivanti ZTA Gateways: Upgrade to version 22.8R2.2 or later.
Refer to the official Ivanti documentation for detailed instructions on how to perform the upgrade process.
Network Segmentation: Isolate affected systems from untrusted networks to limit the potential attack surface.
Monitor for Suspicious Activity: Implement robust monitoring and logging to detect any signs of exploitation.
Security Audit: Conduct a thorough security audit of potentially compromised systems to identify and remediate any malicious activity.
Given the active exploitation of this vulnerability, immediate action is crucial. If you are unable to apply the patch immediately, implement the mitigation measures to reduce the risk until the upgrade can be performed.
Monitor official Ivanti channels for any further security updates or patches related to this vulnerability.
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Arun KL
Arun KL is a cybersecurity professional with 15+ years of experience in IT infrastructure, cloud security, vulnerability management, Penetration Testing, security operations, and incident response. He is adept at designing and implementing robust security solutions to safeguard systems and data. Arun holds multiple industry certifications including CCNA, CCNA Security, RHCE, CEH, and AWS Security.
