EUVD-2025-204961

Comprehensive Technical Analysis of EUVD-2025-204961

1. Vulnerability Assessment and Severity Evaluation

Vulnerability Description: The vulnerability in Coolify, an open-source tool for managing servers, applications, and databases, allows authenticated users with application/service management permissions to execute arbitrary commands as root on managed servers. This is due to unsanitized database names being passed directly to shell commands during backup operations.

Severity Evaluation: The Base Score of 9.4 (CVSS:4.0) indicates a critical vulnerability. The vector string CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H highlights the following:

• Attack Vector (AV): Network (N)
• Attack Complexity (AC): Low (L)
• Authentication (AT): None (N)
• Privileges Required (PR): Low (L)
• User Interaction (UI): None (N)
• Confidentiality (VC), Integrity (VI), Availability (VA): High (H)
• Scope Change (SC), Scope Integrity (SI), Scope Availability (SA): High (H)

This high severity score underscores the potential for significant impact if exploited.

2. Potential Attack Vectors and Exploitation Methods

Attack Vectors:

• Authenticated Command Injection: An attacker with application/service management permissions can exploit the vulnerability by injecting malicious commands into the database name field during a backup operation.
• Remote Code Execution (RCE): The unsanitized input allows for the execution of arbitrary commands with root privileges, leading to full control over the managed servers.

Exploitation Methods:

• Command Injection: Crafting a database name that includes shell commands. For example, a database name like dbname; rm -rf / could be used to delete all files on the server.
• Privilege Escalation: Once arbitrary commands can be executed, the attacker can escalate privileges and gain full control over the system.

3. Affected Systems and Software Versions

Affected Systems:

• All systems running Coolify versions prior to 4.0.0-beta.451.

Software Versions:

• Coolify versions 0 < 4.0.0-beta.451.

4. Recommended Mitigation Strategies

Immediate Actions:

• Upgrade: Immediately upgrade to Coolify version 4.0.0-beta.451 or later, which includes the fix for this vulnerability.
• Access Control: Restrict access to the Database Backup functionality to trusted users only.
• Input Validation: Implement additional input validation and sanitization for database names and other user inputs.

Long-Term Strategies:

• Regular Audits: Conduct regular security audits and code reviews to identify and mitigate similar vulnerabilities.
• Security Training: Provide training for developers and administrators on secure coding practices and input sanitization techniques.
• Monitoring: Implement monitoring and logging to detect and respond to suspicious activities related to database backup operations.

5. Impact on European Cybersecurity Landscape

Impact Analysis:

• Critical Infrastructure: Organizations using Coolify for managing critical infrastructure could face severe disruptions and data breaches.
• Data Integrity: Unauthorized access and manipulation of databases can lead to data corruption and loss of integrity.
• Compliance: Non-compliance with data protection regulations such as GDPR could result in legal and financial penalties.

Broader Implications:

• Supply Chain Risks: Vulnerabilities in open-source tools can propagate through the supply chain, affecting multiple organizations and sectors.
• Reputation: Breaches resulting from this vulnerability could damage the reputation of affected organizations and the trust in open-source software.

6. Technical Details for Security Professionals

Vulnerability Details:

• CVE ID: CVE-2025-66209
• Affected Component: Database Backup functionality in Coolify.
• Root Cause: Lack of input sanitization for database names passed to shell commands.

Exploitation Steps:

1. Authentication: Obtain application/service management permissions.
2. Command Injection: Craft a malicious database name with embedded shell commands.
3. Execution: Initiate a database backup operation, leading to the execution of the injected commands.

Detection and Response:

• Logging: Enable detailed logging for database backup operations to detect anomalous activities.
• Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS): Deploy IDS to monitor for suspicious command execution patterns.
• Incident Response: Develop and test incident response plans to quickly mitigate and recover from potential exploits.

References:

• Coolify CVE-2025-66209 Details
• Coolify Pull Request Fixing the Issue
• Coolify Release Notes for Version 4.0.0-beta.451

By addressing this vulnerability promptly and implementing robust security measures, organizations can significantly reduce the risk of exploitation and protect their critical assets.