CVE-2025-26369 Overview
CVE-2025-26369 is a missing authorization vulnerability [CWE-862] in Q-Free MaxTime traffic management software. The flaw exists in the maxprofile/user-groups/routes.lua component in versions 2.11.0 and earlier. An authenticated attacker with low privileges can add arbitrary privileges to user groups through crafted HTTP requests. This enables vertical privilege escalation within the MaxTime application, granting attackers administrative capabilities they were not authorized to receive. Q-Free MaxTime is deployed in transportation infrastructure to manage traffic signal controllers, making unauthorized privilege changes a concern for operational technology environments.
Critical Impact
A low-privileged authenticated user can elevate privileges by modifying user group permissions, leading to full compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability in MaxTime deployments.
Affected Products
- Q-Free MaxTime versions ≤ 2.11.0
- maxprofile/user-groups/routes.lua component
- Traffic signal controller management deployments using vulnerable MaxTime builds
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-02-12 - CVE-2025-26369 published to NVD
- 2025-05-27 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-26369
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability resides in the user group management routes implemented in Lua within MaxTime. The route handler responsible for modifying user group privileges does not verify whether the requesting user holds administrative authorization. Any authenticated session, including low-privileged accounts, can invoke the privilege assignment endpoint and grant new permissions to existing user groups. Because user group privileges propagate to all members, an attacker can escalate either their own account or other accounts by manipulating group membership and permissions. Nozomi Networks Labs documented the issue and confirmed the impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the MaxTime application.
Root Cause
The root cause is a missing authorization check [CWE-862] in the user groups route handler. Authentication validates that the caller has a valid session, but the application omits the subsequent authorization check that would confirm the caller has administrative rights to modify group privileges. This pattern, often called broken access control, allows horizontal endpoints to be reached by users outside their intended privilege tier.
Attack Vector
The attack requires network access to the MaxTime web interface and valid credentials for any account, including the lowest privilege tier. The attacker authenticates normally, then issues crafted HTTP requests directly to the user groups privilege management endpoints. No user interaction is required from administrators. Successful exploitation grants the attacker elevated capabilities within MaxTime, which can be used to alter traffic management configurations, exfiltrate data, or disrupt operations.
Detailed exploitation specifics are documented in the Nozomi Networks Vulnerability Advisory. No public proof-of-concept exploit code is currently available.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-26369
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected modifications to user group privilege assignments in MaxTime audit logs
- HTTP requests to maxprofile/user-groups/routes endpoints from non-administrative accounts
- New or expanded privileges appearing on user groups without a corresponding administrative change ticket
- Authentication sessions from low-privileged users immediately followed by privilege changes
Detection Strategies
- Review MaxTime application logs for POST or PUT requests to user-groups routes correlated with non-admin session identifiers
- Baseline normal administrative activity patterns and alert on user-groups modifications outside maintenance windows
- Compare current user group privilege configurations against a known-good snapshot to identify unauthorized additions
Monitoring Recommendations
- Forward MaxTime web server and application logs to a centralized SIEM for retention and correlation
- Monitor account creation and privilege change events across the MaxTime environment
- Alert on authentication from accounts that should be inactive or that show abnormal source IP addresses
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-26369
Immediate Actions Required
- Identify all MaxTime instances at or below version 2.11.0 in the environment
- Restrict network access to the MaxTime management interface to trusted operator networks only
- Audit existing user groups and remove any privileges that were not explicitly authorized
- Rotate credentials for low-privilege MaxTime accounts and enforce strong password policies
Patch Information
Refer to the Nozomi Networks Vulnerability Advisory and contact Q-Free directly for the fixed MaxTime release addressing CVE-2025-26369. Apply vendor-supplied updates to all instances running version 2.11.0 or earlier.
Workarounds
- Place the MaxTime web interface behind a VPN or jump host to limit exposure to authenticated low-privilege attackers
- Minimize the number of provisioned MaxTime accounts and disable accounts that are not actively required
- Implement network segmentation between operator workstations and the MaxTime application server to reduce lateral movement opportunities
# Example: restrict access to MaxTime management interface using iptables
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 443 -s 10.0.10.0/24 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 443 -j DROP
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
