CVE-2025-2171: Aviatrix Controller Auth Bypass Flaw

CVE-2025-2171 Overview

CVE-2025-2171 affects Aviatrix Controller, a cloud networking platform used to manage multi-cloud connectivity across AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud Platform. The vulnerability stems from missing rate limiting on the password reset workflow. Adversaries can brute force the 6-digit password reset PIN to take over administrative accounts. Successful exploitation grants attackers control over the Controller, which manages cloud network configurations and credentials. The flaw is tracked under [CWE-307: Improper Restriction of Excessive Authentication Attempts]. Aviatrix released fixes in versions 7.1.4208, 7.2.5090, and 8.0.0.

Critical Impact

Unauthenticated attackers can brute force a 6-digit PIN to reset administrator passwords and gain full control of the Aviatrix Controller, exposing connected cloud environments.

Affected Products

• Aviatrix Controller versions prior to 7.1.4208
• Aviatrix Controller versions prior to 7.2.5090
• Aviatrix Controller versions prior to 8.0.0

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-06-23 - CVE-2025-2171 published to NVD
• 2026-04-15 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-2171

Vulnerability Analysis

The Aviatrix Controller password reset flow issues a 6-digit numeric PIN to verify the requester before allowing a credential change. The Controller does not enforce rate limiting, account lockout, or PIN expiration controls on submission attempts. An attacker who knows a valid administrator email or username can submit all 1,000,000 possible PIN combinations in rapid succession. Because the Controller orchestrates VPC peering, transit gateways, and security policies across cloud providers, a successful takeover exposes downstream cloud infrastructure. Mandiant documented this issue under disclosure MNDT-2025-0003 alongside related remote code execution research published on the Google Cloud Threat Intelligence Blog.

Root Cause

The root cause is the absence of throttling on the password reset endpoint. The application accepts unlimited PIN guesses without delay, CAPTCHA, or progressive lockout. A 6-digit numeric token provides only ~20 bits of entropy, which is insufficient when guess attempts are unbounded. This matches the [CWE-307] weakness pattern where authentication flows lack anti-automation controls.

Attack Vector

The attack is remote and unauthenticated over the network. An adversary first enumerates or guesses a valid administrator identifier, then triggers the password reset workflow to generate a PIN sent to the legitimate user. The attacker submits automated POST requests against the reset endpoint, iterating through the 6-digit PIN space. Once the correct value is submitted, the attacker completes the password reset and authenticates as the administrator. Refer to the Mandiant disclosure for additional technical context.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-2171

Indicators of Compromise

• High-volume POST requests to the Aviatrix Controller password reset endpoint from a single source IP within a short window.
• Successful password reset events not preceded by a legitimate help desk ticket or user-initiated request.
• Administrator login from unusual geolocations or autonomous system numbers immediately following a password reset.
• New API keys, IAM role assumptions, or gateway configuration changes shortly after an administrative session begins.

Detection Strategies

• Alert on more than 10 password reset PIN submission attempts per minute against the Controller per source IP or per target account.
• Correlate password reset completion events with subsequent administrative actions such as user creation, MFA disablement, or cloud account modifications.
• Monitor Controller audit logs for repeated HTTP 400 or 401 responses on reset endpoints followed by an HTTP 200 success.

Monitoring Recommendations

• Ingest Aviatrix Controller authentication and audit logs into a centralized SIEM or data lake for retention and correlation.
• Forward cloud provider audit trails (AWS CloudTrail, Azure Activity Log, GCP Audit Logs) to detect downstream actions taken by a compromised Controller.
• Establish a baseline of password reset frequency per administrator and alert on deviations.

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-2171

Immediate Actions Required

• Upgrade the Aviatrix Controller to version 7.1.4208, 7.2.5090, or 8.0.0 or later based on your current release branch.
• Restrict network access to the Controller management interface using security groups, allowlisted IP ranges, or a VPN.
• Rotate administrator credentials and API keys, and review recent password reset events for unauthorized activity.
• Audit Controller-managed cloud configurations for unexpected changes since the disclosure date.

Patch Information

Aviatrix has released patched builds in versions 7.1.4208, 7.2.5090, and 8.0.0. These releases enforce rate limiting on password reset submissions. Refer to the Mandiant Vulnerability Disclosure MNDT-2025-0003 and the Google Cloud Threat Intelligence Blog for vendor and research guidance.

Workarounds

• Place the Controller behind a web application firewall configured to rate limit and block automated submissions to password reset endpoints.
• Restrict the Controller user interface to trusted management networks only, removing exposure to the public internet.
• Enforce multi-factor authentication for all administrator accounts so PIN guessing alone is insufficient to gain access.
• Disable or tightly scope unused administrator accounts to reduce the attack surface available for brute force targeting.