CVE-2025-24818: Nokia MantaRay NM RCE Vulnerability

CVE-2025-24818 Overview

Nokia MantaRay NM is vulnerable to an OS command injection vulnerability due to improper neutralization of special elements used in an OS command in the Log Search application. This vulnerability (CWE-77: Command Injection) allows authenticated attackers with adjacent network access to execute arbitrary operating system commands on the underlying system.

Critical Impact

Successful exploitation of this command injection vulnerability could allow attackers to execute arbitrary OS commands, potentially leading to complete system compromise, data exfiltration, or lateral movement within the network infrastructure.

Affected Products

• Nokia MantaRay NM (Log Search application component)

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-04-07 - CVE-2025-24818 published to NVD
• 2026-04-08 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-24818

Vulnerability Analysis

This command injection vulnerability exists in the Log Search application component of Nokia MantaRay NM. The vulnerability stems from improper neutralization of special elements when processing user-supplied input that is subsequently used in operating system commands. An attacker with low privileges and adjacent network access can exploit this flaw without requiring user interaction.

The attack requires the attacker to be on an adjacent network segment, which limits the exposure compared to a fully remote attack vector. However, once in position, the low attack complexity and minimal privilege requirements make exploitation straightforward. Successful attacks can result in high impacts to confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected system.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2025-24818 is CWE-77: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in a Command ('Command Injection'). The Log Search application fails to properly sanitize or validate user-controlled input before incorporating it into OS command execution contexts. This allows attackers to inject malicious command sequences that are executed with the privileges of the application process.

Attack Vector

The vulnerability is exploitable from an adjacent network position, meaning attackers must have access to the same network segment as the vulnerable Nokia MantaRay NM instance. The attack requires low privileges (authenticated access) but does not require any user interaction to exploit.

Attack characteristics:

• Attackers craft malicious input containing OS command metacharacters
• The unsanitized input is passed to system command execution functions
• Injected commands execute with application privileges
• No user interaction is required for successful exploitation

The vulnerability mechanism involves insufficient input validation in the Log Search functionality. Attackers can leverage command separator characters or shell metacharacters to break out of the intended command context and execute arbitrary commands. For detailed technical information, refer to the Nokia Security Advisory for CVE-2025-24818.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-24818

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual command execution patterns originating from the MantaRay NM Log Search application processes
• Unexpected child processes spawned by the application
• Anomalous network connections initiated by the MantaRay NM server
• Log entries containing shell metacharacters such as ;, |, &&, ||, or backticks in search queries

Detection Strategies

• Monitor application logs for search queries containing command injection patterns (semicolons, pipes, backticks, command substitution syntax)
• Implement network segmentation monitoring to detect unusual traffic from MantaRay NM systems
• Deploy endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to identify suspicious process execution chains
• Enable audit logging for command execution on systems running MantaRay NM

Monitoring Recommendations

• Configure SIEM rules to alert on potential command injection patterns in application logs
• Monitor for privilege escalation attempts following exploitation
• Track network connections from MantaRay NM servers to detect data exfiltration or C2 communication
• Review authentication logs for suspicious access patterns to the Log Search functionality

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-24818

Immediate Actions Required

• Restrict network access to the MantaRay NM management interface to trusted networks and administrators only
• Implement strict network segmentation to limit adjacent network exposure
• Review and restrict user privileges to the Log Search application component
• Enable enhanced logging and monitoring on affected systems

Patch Information

Consult the Nokia Security Advisory for CVE-2025-24818 for official patch information and updated software versions. Contact Nokia support for specific remediation guidance and patch availability for your deployment.

Workarounds

• Implement network access control lists (ACLs) to restrict access to the MantaRay NM interface from untrusted network segments
• Deploy web application firewall (WAF) rules to filter command injection patterns if the Log Search interface is web-based
• Temporarily disable or restrict access to the Log Search functionality until patches can be applied
• Enforce principle of least privilege for all users with access to the affected application

# Example network segmentation configuration
# Restrict access to MantaRay NM management interface
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 443 -s 10.10.10.0/24 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 443 -j DROP