CVE-2025-0217: BeyondTrust PRA Auth Bypass Vulnerability

CVE-2025-0217 Overview

CVE-2025-0217 is a local authentication bypass vulnerability affecting BeyondTrust Privileged Remote Access (PRA) versions prior to 25.1. This security flaw allows a local authenticated attacker to view the connection details of a ShellJump session that was initiated with external tools, enabling unauthorized access to connected sessions. As a privileged access management solution, BeyondTrust PRA is commonly deployed in enterprise environments to secure remote access to critical systems, making this vulnerability particularly concerning for organizations relying on it for secure session management.

Critical Impact

Local authenticated attackers can bypass authentication controls to view and potentially access ShellJump session details, compromising the confidentiality and integrity of privileged remote access sessions.

Affected Products

• BeyondTrust Privileged Remote Access versions prior to 25.1
• ShellJump sessions initiated with external tools

Discovery Timeline

• May 5, 2025 - CVE-2025-0217 published to NVD
• November 3, 2025 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-0217

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability falls under CWE-287 (Improper Authentication), representing a significant weakness in how BeyondTrust PRA handles authentication for ShellJump sessions initiated through external tools. The flaw enables a locally authenticated attacker to circumvent the intended access controls and view connection details that should be restricted.

The vulnerability requires local access and an authenticated user context, combined with some user interaction. Despite these prerequisites, the potential impact is severe as successful exploitation can result in high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts to both the vulnerable system and subsequent connected systems. This cascading effect is particularly dangerous in privileged access management scenarios where compromised session details could lead to unauthorized access to critical infrastructure.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2025-0217 lies in improper authentication validation within the ShellJump session handling mechanism. When ShellJump sessions are initiated using external tools, the authentication checks do not properly verify whether the requesting user has authorization to view session connection details. This authentication gap allows authenticated local users to access information beyond their intended privilege level, exposing sensitive session data that could be leveraged for further attacks.

Attack Vector

The attack vector for CVE-2025-0217 is local, requiring the attacker to have authenticated access to the system running BeyondTrust PRA. The attacker would exploit the authentication bypass by:

1. Gaining local authenticated access to a system with BeyondTrust PRA installed
2. Identifying or waiting for ShellJump sessions initiated via external tools
3. Exploiting the authentication bypass to view connection details of these sessions
4. Using the exposed session information to gain unauthorized access to connected systems

The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it targets the ShellJump feature, which is designed to provide secure shell access to remote systems. Compromised session details could include connection parameters, credentials, or session tokens that enable the attacker to hijack or establish unauthorized connections.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-0217

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected access attempts to ShellJump session connection details by users without appropriate privileges
• Anomalous user activity patterns involving session enumeration or viewing connection metadata
• Audit log entries showing access to session details from unauthorized user accounts
• Unusual authentication patterns around ShellJump sessions initiated with external tools

Detection Strategies

• Enable comprehensive audit logging for all BeyondTrust PRA session access and authentication events
• Monitor for attempts to access ShellJump session details outside of normal operational patterns
• Implement alerts for any authentication bypass indicators or failed access control checks
• Review user access patterns to identify potential privilege escalation or unauthorized session viewing

Monitoring Recommendations

• Deploy endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to monitor local access to BeyondTrust PRA components
• Configure SIEM rules to correlate authentication events with session access attempts
• Establish baseline behavior for ShellJump session usage and alert on deviations
• Regularly audit user permissions and access to ShellJump functionality

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-0217

Immediate Actions Required

• Upgrade BeyondTrust Privileged Remote Access to version 25.1 or later immediately
• Review audit logs for any evidence of unauthorized session access prior to patching
• Restrict local access to systems running BeyondTrust PRA to only essential personnel
• Consider temporarily disabling ShellJump sessions initiated via external tools until patching is complete

Patch Information

BeyondTrust has released version 25.1 of Privileged Remote Access to address this vulnerability. Organizations should apply this update as soon as possible. For detailed patch information and upgrade instructions, refer to the BeyondTrust Security Advisory BT25-03. Additional technical discussion can be found in the Full Disclosure May 2025 Post.

Workarounds

• Limit local access to BeyondTrust PRA systems to only trusted administrators
• Disable or restrict the use of external tools for initiating ShellJump sessions where possible
• Implement additional access controls and monitoring around ShellJump functionality
• Segment networks to limit the impact of potential session compromise

# Review BeyondTrust PRA version and ensure upgrade to 25.1+
# Consult BeyondTrust documentation for specific upgrade procedures
# After upgrade, verify the patch was applied successfully by checking the version
# Enable enhanced audit logging for session access monitoring