Overview
CVE-2025-66304 is a medium-severity security vulnerability affecting Grav, a file-based Web platform. Discovered in versions prior to 1.8.0-beta.27, the vulnerability allows users with read access to the user account management section of the admin panel to view the password hashes of all users, including the administrator. This flaw could lead to privilege escalation if an attacker successfully cracks these password hashes.
Technical Details
The vulnerability stems from insufficient access control within the Grav admin panel. Specifically, a user with read-only privileges in the user management section is unintentionally granted access to view sensitive data, including the stored password hashes. These hashes, while not plain-text passwords, can be targeted with brute-force or dictionary attacks to reveal the original passwords. Successful cracking of the administrator’s password would grant an attacker complete control over the Grav instance.
CVSS Analysis
The Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) assigns a score of 6.2 to CVE-2025-66304, classifying it as a MEDIUM severity vulnerability. The CVSS vector is likely AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N. This reflects the network attack vector, low attack complexity, high privileges required (read access), no user interaction, unchanged scope, high confidentiality impact, no integrity impact, and no availability impact.
Possible Impact
The exploitation of CVE-2025-66304 can have serious consequences:
- Privilege Escalation: An attacker who cracks the administrator’s password can gain full administrative control over the Grav website.
- Data Breach: With administrator access, the attacker can access and potentially exfiltrate sensitive data stored within the Grav installation.
- Website Defacement: An attacker can modify the website’s content, deface it, or inject malicious code.
- Service Disruption: An attacker could potentially disrupt the website’s availability.
Mitigation and Patch Steps
The vulnerability is resolved in Grav version 1.8.0-beta.27. To mitigate the risk, follow these steps:
- Upgrade Grav: The most effective solution is to upgrade your Grav installation to version 1.8.0-beta.27 or later. Follow the official Grav upgrade instructions.
- Review User Permissions: Carefully review the permissions assigned to all user accounts within the Grav admin panel. Ensure that users only have the necessary privileges.
- Password Policies: Enforce strong password policies for all users. Encourage users to use complex and unique passwords.
