Overview
CVE-2025-61168 describes a critical security vulnerability affecting SIGB PMB (Professional Management of Bibliographic records) version 8.0.1.14. Specifically, an issue exists in the cms_rest.php component that allows unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary code by unserializing a malicious file. This vulnerability stems from the lack of proper input validation and sanitization during the unserialization process.
Technical Details
The vulnerability resides within the cms_rest.php file. The application processes user-supplied data through the unserialize() function without adequate validation. An attacker can craft a serialized PHP object containing malicious code, which, when unserialized by the application, results in arbitrary code execution on the server. The specific attack vector involves manipulating the input to cms_rest.php to include the malicious serialized object. The lack of authentication requirements for accessing this component significantly increases the exploitability of this vulnerability.
Simplified example of vulnerable code:
<?php
// Vulnerable cms_rest.php excerpt
$data = $_POST['data']; // Example: Data received from a POST request
unserialize($data); // Unserializing without validation
?>
CVSS Analysis
As of the published date (2025-11-25), a CVSS score is not available (N/A). Given the potential for remote code execution without authentication, it is highly probable that a CVSS score will be assigned, and it will likely be a critical severity score (CVSS v3.x score of 9.0 or higher).
Possible Impact
The successful exploitation of CVE-2025-61168 can have severe consequences:
- Remote Code Execution (RCE): Attackers can execute arbitrary commands on the server, potentially gaining complete control of the system.
- Data Breach: Sensitive data stored within the PMB system, including bibliographic records and user information, could be compromised.
- System Takeover: An attacker could use the compromised system as a launchpad for further attacks on other systems within the network.
- Denial of Service (DoS): The attacker might disrupt normal operations by causing the PMB system to crash or become unavailable.
Mitigation or Patch Steps
To mitigate the risk posed by CVE-2025-61168, the following steps are recommended:
- Upgrade to a patched version: Immediately upgrade SIGB PMB to a version that addresses this vulnerability. Refer to the SIGB PMB changelog for information on patched versions. Check the official PMB changelog for the details regarding the fixed version.
- Input Validation: If an immediate upgrade is not possible, implement robust input validation and sanitization for all data processed by the
unserialize()function incms_rest.php. Specifically, ensure that only trusted data is unserialized, or avoid usingunserialize()altogether. - Disable Unserialization: If the functionality provided by
cms_rest.phpand theunserialize()function is not essential, consider disabling or removing this component entirely. - Web Application Firewall (WAF): Deploy a web application firewall (WAF) to detect and block malicious requests targeting the
cms_rest.phpendpoint. Configure the WAF to look for patterns associated with unserialization attacks.
