Overview
A critical directory traversal vulnerability, identified as CVE-2025-54347, has been discovered in the Application Server of Desktop Alert PingAlert versions 6.1.0.11 through 6.1.1.2. This vulnerability allows a remote attacker to write arbitrary files on the system, potentially leading to complete system compromise under specific circumstances.
Technical Details
The vulnerability resides within the file handling mechanism of the PingAlert Application Server. Due to insufficient input validation, a malicious actor can manipulate file paths provided to the server. By crafting a request containing “../” sequences, an attacker can traverse outside of the intended directory and write files to arbitrary locations on the file system. The precise vectors through which the file paths are manipulated are not publicly detailed but the impact is severe.
Successful exploitation requires the attacker to have network access to the PingAlert Application Server. While the specifics of achieving this will vary depending on network configuration, the inherent nature of the vulnerability being present within the Application Server itself suggests a potentially broad attack surface.
Example (Conceptual)
While a full exploit example cannot be provided without further analysis, a conceptual example of the vulnerable request might look like this:
POST /vulnerable_endpoint HTTP/1.1
Host: your-pingalert-server.example.com
Content-Type: application/json
{
"filename": "../../../../../../tmp/evil.txt",
"content": "Malicious code to execute"
}
Important Note: This example is illustrative only and should not be taken as a fully functional exploit. The specific vulnerable endpoint and request parameters will vary depending on the exact implementation details within PingAlert.
CVSS Analysis
This vulnerability has been assigned a CVSS score of 9.9 (Critical). This high score reflects the severity of the vulnerability and the potential impact of successful exploitation. The ability to write arbitrary files on the system allows attackers to potentially achieve:
- Remote Code Execution (RCE): By writing malicious code to executable locations, attackers can gain complete control of the system.
- Privilege Escalation: Attackers could overwrite system files to escalate their privileges.
- Data Exfiltration: Malicious code could be written to exfiltrate sensitive data from the server.
- Denial of Service (DoS): Overwriting critical system files can lead to instability and a denial of service.
Possible Impact
The impact of this vulnerability is severe. Successful exploitation could lead to:
- Complete compromise of the PingAlert server.
- Lateral movement within the network if the compromised server has access to other resources.
- Data breaches and loss of sensitive information.
- Disruption of critical alerting services.
- Reputational damage.
Organizations using affected versions of Desktop Alert PingAlert are strongly advised to take immediate action to mitigate this risk.
Mitigation and Patch Steps
The recommended mitigation is to immediately update to a patched version of Desktop Alert PingAlert. Check the Desktop Alert website for the latest versions and security advisories. Since the versions affected are 6.1.0.11 to 6.1.1.2, upgrading to a version greater than 6.1.1.2 is essential.
If an immediate upgrade is not possible, consider the following temporary mitigations:
- Network Segmentation: Isolate the PingAlert server within a segmented network to limit the potential impact of a compromise.
- Input Validation: If possible, implement stricter input validation on the server-side to prevent directory traversal attempts (this may require custom development and is not a recommended long-term solution).
- Web Application Firewall (WAF): Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with rules to detect and block directory traversal attacks.
Important: These temporary mitigations provide only limited protection and should not be considered a substitute for patching the vulnerability.
References
- CVE: CVE-2025-54347
- Desktop Alert: https://desktopalert.net/
