CVE-2025-57285

Comprehensive Technical Analysis of CVE-2025-57285

1. Vulnerability Assessment and Severity Evaluation

CVE ID: CVE-2025-57285 Description: The vulnerability exists in the emptyFolder function within the lib/utils.js file of codeceptjs version 3.7.3. The execSync command directly concatenates the user-controlled directoryPath parameter without proper sanitization or escaping, leading to a command injection vulnerability. CVSS Score: 9.8

Severity Evaluation:

• Critical: The CVSS score of 9.8 indicates a critical vulnerability. This high score is due to the potential for arbitrary command execution, which can lead to complete system compromise.
• Impact: The vulnerability allows attackers to execute arbitrary commands on the host system, potentially leading to data breaches, system takeover, and further lateral movement within the network.

2. Potential Attack Vectors and Exploitation Methods

Attack Vectors:

• User Input Manipulation: An attacker can manipulate the directoryPath parameter to inject malicious commands.
• Supply Chain Attack: If an attacker can control the input to the emptyFolder function through a compromised dependency or malicious package, they can exploit this vulnerability.

Exploitation Methods:

• Command Injection: By crafting a specially designed directoryPath value, an attacker can inject commands that will be executed by the execSync function. For example, an attacker might input ; rm -rf / to delete all files on the system.
• Privilege Escalation: If the codeceptjs process runs with elevated privileges, the attacker can execute commands with those privileges, leading to a full system compromise.

3. Affected Systems and Software Versions

Affected Software:

• codeceptjs version 3.7.3

Affected Systems:

• Any system running codeceptjs version 3.7.3, including development environments, CI/CD pipelines, and production servers.

4. Recommended Mitigation Strategies

Immediate Mitigation:

• Upgrade: Upgrade to a patched version of codeceptjs if available.
• Input Sanitization: Ensure that all user inputs are properly sanitized and escaped before being used in system commands.
• Least Privilege: Run codeceptjs with the least privileges necessary to minimize the impact of a successful exploit.

Long-Term Mitigation:

• Code Review: Conduct a thorough code review to identify and fix similar vulnerabilities in other parts of the codebase.
• Security Training: Provide security training for developers to understand the risks associated with command injection and other common vulnerabilities.
• Automated Testing: Implement automated security testing tools to detect and prevent command injection vulnerabilities during the development process.

5. Impact on Cybersecurity Landscape

Broader Implications:

• Supply Chain Security: This vulnerability highlights the importance of securing the software supply chain. Compromised dependencies can introduce critical vulnerabilities into otherwise secure systems.
• Developer Awareness: It underscores the need for developers to be aware of secure coding practices, particularly when dealing with user inputs and system commands.
• CI/CD Security: Organizations must ensure that their CI/CD pipelines are secure, as vulnerabilities in development tools can be exploited to compromise the entire pipeline.

6. Technical Details for Security Professionals

Vulnerability Details:

• Location: The vulnerability is located in the emptyFolder function within the lib/utils.js file.
• Code Snippet:

  const { execSync } = require('child_process');
  
  function emptyFolder(directoryPath) {
    execSync(`rm -rf ${directoryPath}/*`);
  }
  

• Issue: The directoryPath parameter is directly concatenated into the execSync command without sanitization or escaping, allowing for command injection.

Detection:

• Static Analysis: Use static analysis tools to detect unsanitized user inputs in system commands.
• Dynamic Analysis: Implement runtime monitoring to detect and alert on suspicious command executions.

Remediation:

• Sanitization: Ensure that all user inputs are properly sanitized and escaped before being used in system commands.
• Parameterized Commands: Use parameterized commands or libraries that handle input sanitization automatically.

Example Fix:

const { execSync } = require('child_process');
const { escape } = require('shell-escape');

function emptyFolder(directoryPath) {
  const sanitizedPath = escape([directoryPath]);
  execSync(`rm -rf ${sanitizedPath}/*`);
}

Conclusion: CVE-2025-57285 is a critical command injection vulnerability in codeceptjs version 3.7.3 that can lead to arbitrary command execution. Immediate mitigation strategies include upgrading to a patched version, sanitizing user inputs, and running the software with the least privileges necessary. Long-term mitigation involves code reviews, security training, and automated testing. This vulnerability highlights the importance of secure coding practices and supply chain security in the broader cybersecurity landscape.