CVE-2025-0457: airPASS OS Command Injection Vulnerability

CVE-2025-0457 Overview

CVE-2025-0457 is an OS Command Injection vulnerability [CWE-78] affecting the airPASS product from NetVision Information. The flaw allows remote attackers holding regular user privileges to inject and execute arbitrary operating system commands on the underlying host. Successful exploitation provides command execution under the privileges of the airPASS service, exposing confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected appliance. The Taiwan Computer Emergency Response Team (TWCERT/CC) published advisories describing the issue and coordinating remediation with the vendor.

Critical Impact
Authenticated remote attackers can execute arbitrary OS commands on airPASS deployments, enabling full compromise of the network access control appliance.

Affected Products

NetVision Information airPASS (network access control product)
Refer to the TWCERT advisory for specific affected build identifiers
Vendor-supplied patched releases supersede vulnerable versions

Discovery Timeline

2025-01-16 - CVE-2025-0457 published to the National Vulnerability Database (NVD)
2026-04-15 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-0457

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is classified under [CWE-78], Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an OS Command. airPASS accepts attacker-controlled input through an authenticated interface and passes that input into an operating system command invocation without adequate sanitization. An authenticated user with low privileges can append shell metacharacters or chained commands that the host shell then executes. Because airPASS is a network access control platform, compromise grants the attacker a foothold inside the authentication and policy enforcement path.

The EPSS score is 1.693% with a percentile of 82.585, indicating relatively elevated exploitation likelihood compared with the broader CVE population. No public proof-of-concept exploit is currently listed, and the vulnerability is not present on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list.

Root Cause

The root cause is the construction of OS command strings using untrusted input without input validation, allow-listing, or parameterized command execution. Functions that invoke the shell, such as system(), popen(), or backtick execution in scripting languages, will interpret metacharacters like ;, |, &, and $() when concatenated user input is passed through. The airPASS code path responsible for the affected feature lacks the required neutralization.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based and requires authentication with regular user privileges. An attacker sends a crafted request to the vulnerable airPASS endpoint that embeds command separators or substitution syntax in a parameter that the backend feeds to a shell. The injected payload executes with the privileges of the airPASS service account. User interaction is not required. Refer to the TWCERT Security Advisory for vendor-coordinated technical context.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-0457

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected child processes spawned by the airPASS application or web service account, particularly shells such as /bin/sh, /bin/bash, or cmd.exe.
Outbound network connections from the airPASS host to unfamiliar destinations following authenticated HTTP requests.
Web access logs containing shell metacharacters such as ;, |, &&, `, or $( within request parameters.

Detection Strategies

Monitor process lineage on the airPASS host and alert when the application process forks a shell or a command-line interpreter.
Inspect application and reverse-proxy logs for request parameters containing OS command syntax targeting endpoints used by authenticated users.
Correlate authentication events with subsequent host-level process creation to identify post-login command execution.

Monitoring Recommendations

Forward airPASS web, audit, and operating system logs to a centralized analytics platform for retention and correlation.
Establish a baseline of normal child processes for the airPASS service and alert on deviations.
Track outbound connections initiated by the appliance to identify reverse shells or tooling downloads.

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-0457

Immediate Actions Required

Apply the vendor-supplied airPASS update referenced in the TWCERT Security Advisory as soon as it is available.
Restrict management and authenticated user access to airPASS to trusted administrative networks only.
Rotate credentials for any account that could authenticate to airPASS prior to patching.
Review airPASS host activity for signs of post-exploitation, including unexpected processes, scheduled tasks, or new accounts.

Patch Information

NetVision Information has coordinated remediation through TWCERT/CC. Administrators should obtain the fixed airPASS release directly from the vendor and validate the installed version after upgrade. Additional context is available in the TWCERT Incident Report.

Workarounds

Place airPASS behind network access controls that limit who can reach authenticated endpoints.
Disable or restrict user accounts that are not strictly required for operations until patching is complete.
Deploy a web application firewall rule that blocks shell metacharacters in parameters submitted to airPASS endpoints.

bash

# Example WAF/reverse-proxy filter pattern for shell metacharacters
# Block requests containing common command-injection syntax
if ($args ~* "(;|\||&&|\$\(|\`|\bnc\b|\bwget\b|\bcurl\b)") {
    return 403;
}