CVE-2025-15620: HiOS Switch Platform DoS Vulnerability

CVE-2025-15620 Overview

CVE-2025-15620 is a denial-of-service vulnerability affecting the HiOS Switch Platform's web interface. The vulnerability allows remote attackers to reboot affected network switch devices by sending malicious HTTP GET requests to a specific endpoint. This authentication bypass flaw (CWE-306: Missing Authentication for Critical Function) enables unauthenticated attackers to trigger an uncontrolled reboot condition, causing service disruption and unavailability of the switch.

Critical Impact

Remote unauthenticated attackers can cause complete service disruption of HiOS network switches through the web interface, potentially impacting entire network segments and critical infrastructure operations.

Affected Products

• HiOS Switch Platform (web interface component)

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-04-02 - CVE-2025-15620 published to NVD
• 2026-04-02 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-15620

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability stems from a missing authentication check (CWE-306) in the HiOS Switch Platform's web interface. The affected endpoint that triggers device reboot does not properly validate that incoming requests originate from authenticated users. As a result, any remote attacker with network access to the management interface can invoke the reboot functionality without providing credentials.

The attack is particularly dangerous in industrial and enterprise network environments where HiOS switches serve as critical infrastructure components. A successful exploitation results in immediate device reboot, causing all connected devices and network traffic flowing through the switch to be disrupted until the switch completes its restart sequence.

Root Cause

The root cause is CWE-306: Missing Authentication for Critical Function. The web interface exposes a device reboot endpoint without implementing proper authentication controls. Critical administrative functions like device reboot should require authenticated sessions, but this validation is absent, allowing unauthenticated requests to trigger the sensitive operation.

Attack Vector

The attack is conducted over the network by sending a crafted HTTP GET request to the vulnerable endpoint on the HiOS switch's web interface. The attack requires no authentication, no user interaction, and has low complexity. An attacker simply needs network access to the switch's management interface to exploit this vulnerability.

The exploitation flow involves:

1. Identifying a target HiOS switch with an accessible web interface
2. Sending a malicious HTTP GET request to the specific vulnerable endpoint
3. The switch processes the request without authentication checks
4. The device initiates an uncontrolled reboot sequence
5. Network services through the switch become unavailable during reboot

Technical details regarding the specific endpoint and request format can be found in the Belden PSIRT Advisory Document.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-15620

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected device reboots logged in switch event logs without corresponding administrative actions
• Unusual HTTP GET requests to the switch management interface from unauthorized source IPs
• Multiple rapid reboot events occurring across HiOS switches in the network
• Network outages coinciding with suspicious web interface access attempts

Detection Strategies

• Monitor switch syslog for unexpected reboot events and correlate with management interface access logs
• Implement network traffic analysis to detect unauthenticated requests to switch management interfaces
• Configure alerting for HTTP requests to HiOS switch web interfaces from non-administrative IP ranges
• Deploy intrusion detection system (IDS) rules to identify potential exploitation attempts

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable comprehensive logging on all HiOS switch management interfaces
• Centralize switch logs to a SIEM platform for correlation and anomaly detection
• Monitor for repeated reboot cycles that may indicate ongoing DoS attacks
• Track management interface access patterns and alert on deviations from baseline

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-15620

Immediate Actions Required

• Restrict network access to HiOS switch management interfaces using firewall rules or ACLs
• Implement network segmentation to isolate management interfaces from untrusted networks
• Review and audit all network paths that could reach switch web interfaces
• Consider temporarily disabling the web interface if not required for operations

Patch Information

Consult the Belden PSIRT Advisory Document for official patch information and firmware updates from the vendor. Apply security patches as soon as they become available for your specific HiOS switch models.

Workarounds

• Implement strict access control lists (ACLs) to limit management interface access to trusted administrative IP addresses only
• Place switch management interfaces on a dedicated, isolated management VLAN
• Use firewall rules to block external access to switch web interfaces
• Consider using out-of-band management networks for critical infrastructure switches
• Disable the web interface entirely if alternative management methods (CLI, SNMP) are available

# Example ACL configuration to restrict management access (syntax may vary by model)
# Only allow management access from trusted admin workstation subnet
ip access-list extended MGMT-ACCESS
  permit tcp 10.0.100.0 0.0.0.255 any eq 80
  permit tcp 10.0.100.0 0.0.0.255 any eq 443
  deny tcp any any eq 80
  deny tcp any any eq 443