CVE-2025-24286: Veeam Backup & Replication Privilege Escalation

CVE-2025-24286 Overview

CVE-2025-24286 is a privilege escalation vulnerability in Veeam Backup & Replication that allows an authenticated user with the Backup Operator role to modify backup jobs in a way that could lead to arbitrary code execution. This improper privilege management flaw (CWE-269) enables attackers who have already gained limited access to escalate their privileges and potentially compromise the entire backup infrastructure.

Critical Impact

Authenticated attackers with Backup Operator privileges can modify backup job configurations to execute arbitrary code, potentially leading to complete compromise of backup infrastructure and sensitive data.

Affected Products

• Veeam Backup & Replication (all vulnerable versions prior to patch)

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-06-19 - CVE-2025-24286 published to NVD
• 2025-07-16 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-24286

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability stems from improper privilege management (CWE-269) within Veeam Backup & Replication's role-based access control system. The Backup Operator role, which is intended to have limited administrative capabilities focused on managing backup operations, is granted excessive permissions that allow modification of backup job configurations in ways that were not intended by the security model.

The vulnerability is exploitable over the network by authenticated users who have been assigned the Backup Operator role. While this requires prior authentication and elevated privileges (reducing the attack surface), the impact is significant as successful exploitation could allow arbitrary code execution within the context of the backup infrastructure.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2025-24286 lies in improper privilege management within the application's role-based access control implementation. The Backup Operator role is granted permissions that exceed the principle of least privilege, allowing users in this role to modify backup job parameters that can be leveraged for code execution. This represents a design flaw where the permission boundaries for the Backup Operator role were not sufficiently restricted to prevent security-sensitive modifications.

Attack Vector

The attack vector for this vulnerability involves an authenticated user with Backup Operator role credentials connecting to the Veeam Backup & Replication management interface over the network. Once authenticated, the attacker can manipulate backup job configurations to inject malicious commands or scripts that execute during backup operations.

The exploitation path typically involves:

1. Attacker gains or is assigned Backup Operator credentials
2. Attacker authenticates to the Veeam management interface
3. Attacker modifies existing backup job configurations or creates new jobs with malicious parameters
4. When the backup job executes, the malicious code runs with the privileges of the backup service

Since no verified code examples are available for this vulnerability, organizations should refer to the Veeam Knowledge Base Article for detailed technical information about the vulnerability mechanism and remediation steps.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-24286

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected modifications to backup job configurations, particularly in script or command execution settings
• Backup jobs executing unusual commands or accessing unexpected file paths
• New or modified backup jobs created by Backup Operator accounts that were not authorized through change management processes
• Unusual authentication patterns for Backup Operator accounts

Detection Strategies

• Enable comprehensive audit logging for all backup job modifications and configuration changes
• Implement SIEM rules to alert on backup job modifications by Backup Operator accounts
• Monitor for execution of unexpected scripts or commands during backup job execution
• Review backup job configurations regularly for unauthorized changes

Monitoring Recommendations

• Deploy endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions like SentinelOne to monitor the Veeam Backup & Replication servers for suspicious process execution
• Implement file integrity monitoring on backup job configuration files
• Configure alerts for any backup job modifications outside of scheduled maintenance windows
• Monitor network traffic from backup infrastructure for unusual outbound connections

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-24286

Immediate Actions Required

• Apply the security patch from Veeam as documented in KB4743
• Review all accounts assigned the Backup Operator role and verify they require this level of access
• Audit recent backup job modifications for signs of exploitation
• Implement additional monitoring on Veeam Backup & Replication servers until patching is complete

Patch Information

Veeam has released a security patch to address this vulnerability. Detailed patch information and upgrade instructions are available in the Veeam Knowledge Base Article KB4743. Organizations should prioritize applying this patch to all affected Veeam Backup & Replication installations.

Workarounds

• Restrict assignment of the Backup Operator role to only essential personnel
• Implement additional approval workflows for backup job modifications
• Enable multi-factor authentication for all Veeam administrative and operator accounts
• Isolate Veeam Backup & Replication management interfaces on restricted network segments with strict access controls