CVE-2025-65021

Comprehensive Technical Analysis of CVE-2025-65021

1. Vulnerability Assessment and Severity Evaluation

CVE ID: CVE-2025-65021 CVSS Score: 9.1

The vulnerability in question is an Insecure Direct Object Reference (IDOR) in the Rallly open-source scheduling and collaboration tool. This vulnerability allows any authenticated user to finalize a poll they do not own by manipulating the pollId parameter in the request. The severity of this vulnerability is rated at 9.1 on the CVSS scale, indicating a critical risk.

Severity Evaluation:

• Confidentiality Impact: None
• Integrity Impact: High
• Availability Impact: High

The high integrity and availability impact scores reflect the potential for unauthorized users to disrupt workflows and compromise data integrity by finalizing polls without proper authorization.

2. Potential Attack Vectors and Exploitation Methods

Attack Vectors:

1. Authenticated User Exploitation: An attacker with valid credentials can manipulate the pollId parameter to finalize polls they do not own.
2. Automated Scripts: Attackers can use automated scripts to systematically target multiple polls, causing widespread disruption.

Exploitation Methods:

1. Parameter Tampering: By intercepting and modifying the pollId parameter in the HTTP request, an attacker can finalize any poll.
2. Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF): If the application does not have proper CSRF protections, an attacker could trick authenticated users into making unauthorized requests to finalize polls.

3. Affected Systems and Software Versions

Affected Software:

• Rallly versions prior to 4.5.4

Affected Systems:

• Any system running Rallly versions prior to 4.5.4, including on-premises installations and cloud-hosted instances.

4. Recommended Mitigation Strategies

Immediate Mitigation:

1. Upgrade to Version 4.5.4: Immediately upgrade to Rallly version 4.5.4 or later, which includes the patch for this vulnerability.
2. Access Controls: Implement strict access controls and monitor user activities to detect and prevent unauthorized actions.

Long-Term Mitigation:

1. Input Validation: Ensure that all input parameters are validated and authorized before processing.
2. Authorization Checks: Implement robust authorization checks to verify that users have the necessary permissions to perform actions on specific objects.
3. CSRF Protection: Implement CSRF tokens to prevent unauthorized requests from being executed.

5. Impact on Cybersecurity Landscape

The discovery and exploitation of IDOR vulnerabilities highlight the importance of secure coding practices and thorough security testing. This vulnerability underscores the need for:

• Regular Security Audits: Conduct regular security audits and code reviews to identify and mitigate similar vulnerabilities.
• User Education: Educate users about the risks of parameter tampering and the importance of reporting suspicious activities.
• Incident Response: Develop and maintain an incident response plan to quickly address and mitigate the impact of such vulnerabilities.

6. Technical Details for Security Professionals

Vulnerability Details:

• Vulnerable Component: Poll finalization feature
• Vulnerable Parameter: pollId
• Exploitation Steps:
  1. Authenticate as a valid user.
  2. Intercept the HTTP request for finalizing a poll.
  3. Modify the pollId parameter to target a different poll.
  4. Submit the modified request to finalize the targeted poll.

Detection and Monitoring:

• Log Analysis: Monitor application logs for unusual patterns in poll finalization requests.
• Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS): Implement IDS to detect and alert on suspicious activities related to parameter tampering.
• User Behavior Analytics: Use behavior analytics to identify deviations from normal user activities.

Patch Analysis:

• Patch Version: 4.5.4
• Patch Details: The patch includes additional authorization checks to ensure that users can only finalize polls they own.

Conclusion: CVE-2025-65021 is a critical vulnerability that underscores the importance of secure coding practices and robust security testing. Organizations using Rallly should prioritize upgrading to the patched version and implement additional security measures to prevent similar vulnerabilities in the future.

References:

• Rallly v4.5.4 Release Notes
• Rallly Security Advisory