CVE-2025-13808: Orionsec Orion-ops Auth Bypass Vulnerability

CVE-2025-13808 Overview

CVE-2025-13808 is an improper authorization vulnerability discovered in orionsec orion-ops, affecting versions up to commit 5925824997a3109651bbde07460958a7be249ed1. The vulnerability exists in the update function within the User Profile Handler component located at orion-ops-api/orion-ops-web/src/main/java/cn/orionsec/ops/controller/UserController.java. By manipulating the ID argument, an attacker can bypass authorization controls, potentially leading to privilege escalation. This flaw can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring authentication.

Critical Impact

Remote attackers can exploit improper authorization in the User Profile Handler to modify user profiles by manipulating the ID parameter, potentially escalating privileges or accessing unauthorized data.

Affected Products

• orionsec orion-ops (versions up to commit 5925824997a3109651bbde07460958a7be249ed1)

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-12-01 - CVE CVE-2025-13808 published to NVD
• 2025-12-04 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-13808

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-266 (Incorrect Privilege Assignment). The flaw resides in the UserController.java file's update function, which handles user profile modifications. The function fails to properly validate whether the requesting user has authorization to modify the target user profile identified by the ID parameter.

The CVSS 4.0 score is 6.9 (Medium) with the vector string: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:L/VI:L/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:P/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X

The EPSS probability is 0.045% (13.651 percentile), indicating a relatively low likelihood of exploitation in the wild, though the vulnerability should still be addressed promptly.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is the lack of proper authorization checks in the update function of UserController.java. The application accepts the ID parameter from user input and processes profile update requests without verifying that the authenticated user has permission to modify the specified user profile. This is a classic Insecure Direct Object Reference (IDOR) pattern combined with improper privilege assignment.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based and requires no special privileges or user interaction. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by sending crafted HTTP requests to the user profile update endpoint with a manipulated ID parameter. The attack flow involves:

1. An authenticated user (or potentially unauthenticated depending on additional security controls) sends a request to update a user profile
2. The attacker modifies the ID parameter to reference another user's profile
3. The application processes the update without validating authorization
4. The target user's profile is modified with attacker-controlled data

The exploit has been publicly disclosed, and a proof-of-concept is available at the external references linked in the CVE data. Technical details and exploitation methodology can be found in the security research report.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-13808

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual user profile modification requests with sequential or enumerated ID parameters
• HTTP requests to the user update endpoint containing ID values that do not match the authenticated user's session
• Log entries showing profile updates for users who did not initiate the changes
• Authentication tokens being used to access or modify profiles of other users

Detection Strategies

Organizations should implement monitoring for suspicious activity patterns on the user profile update endpoint. Key detection strategies include:

1. Request Pattern Analysis: Monitor for rapid sequential requests with varying ID parameters from a single source, which may indicate enumeration attempts
2. Authorization Mismatch Detection: Compare the authenticated user's identity with the target ID in profile update requests
3. Anomaly Detection: Baseline normal user profile update behavior and alert on deviations
4. Web Application Firewall (WAF) Rules: Implement rules to detect parameter tampering on sensitive endpoints

Monitoring Recommendations

Implement comprehensive logging for all user profile operations including the source IP, authenticated user, target user ID, and request payload. Enable alerting when a user attempts to modify a profile other than their own. Review web server access logs for patterns indicating exploitation attempts. Consider implementing rate limiting on the user update endpoint to slow enumeration attacks.

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-13808

Immediate Actions Required

• Review and audit all instances of the UserController.java file in your orion-ops deployment
• Implement server-side authorization checks to validate that users can only modify their own profiles
• Deploy Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block parameter manipulation attempts
• Monitor logs for any signs of past exploitation

Patch Information

At the time of disclosure, the vendor (orionsec) was contacted but did not respond. No official patch has been released. Organizations using orion-ops should implement the workarounds described below and monitor the project's GitHub repository for any future security updates.

Reference the following resources for technical details:

• VulDB Entry
• Security Research Report

Workarounds

Since no official patch is available, organizations should implement authorization checks at the application level. Modify the update function in UserController.java to validate that the requesting user's session ID matches the target profile ID before processing any updates. Additionally, consider implementing the following controls:

// Authorization check pseudocode for UserController.java update function
// Ensure the authenticated user can only update their own profile

public Result update(UserRequest request) {
    // Get the authenticated user's ID from the session
    Long authenticatedUserId = getCurrentUserIdFromSession();
    
    // Validate that the request ID matches the authenticated user
    if (!authenticatedUserId.equals(request.getId())) {
        // Log the unauthorized access attempt
        log.warn("Unauthorized profile update attempt: user {} tried to update user {}", 
                 authenticatedUserId, request.getId());
        return Result.forbidden("You can only update your own profile");
    }
    
    // Proceed with the update only if authorization passes
    // ... rest of update logic
}

Note: The above is a conceptual mitigation example. Review the actual codebase implementation and adapt accordingly. Additional network-level controls such as restricting access to the application and implementing strong authentication mechanisms are also recommended.