CVE-2025-3115: Tibco Spotfire Enterprise Runtime RCE Flaw

CVE-2025-3115 Overview

CVE-2025-3115 is a critical code injection vulnerability affecting multiple TIBCO Spotfire products. Attackers can inject malicious code, potentially gaining control over the system executing these functions. Additionally, insufficient validation of filenames during file uploads enables attackers to upload and execute malicious files, leading to arbitrary code execution.

This vulnerability combines two dangerous attack vectors: injection flaws that allow execution of attacker-controlled code, and file upload validation bypass that permits the placement of malicious executables on target systems. The network-accessible nature of these flaws makes them particularly dangerous in enterprise analytics environments where Spotfire is commonly deployed.

Critical Impact
Authenticated attackers can achieve full system compromise through code injection and malicious file upload, potentially gaining complete control over TIBCO Spotfire servers and client installations.

Affected Products

TIBCO Spotfire Enterprise Runtime for R (versions 1.18.0 through 1.21.1)
TIBCO Spotfire Statistics Services (versions 14.1.0 through 14.4.1)
TIBCO Spotfire Analyst (versions 14.1.0 through 14.4.1)
TIBCO Spotfire Deployment Kit (versions 14.1.0 through 14.4.1)
TIBCO Spotfire Desktop
TIBCO Spotfire Analytics Platform (AWS Marketplace)

Discovery Timeline

April 9, 2025 - CVE-2025-3115 published to NVD
November 11, 2025 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-3115

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-94 (Improper Control of Generation of Code, also known as Code Injection). The flaw resides in how TIBCO Spotfire products handle user-supplied input in certain functions, allowing attackers to inject and execute arbitrary code within the context of the application.

The dual nature of this vulnerability—combining code injection with file upload bypass—creates a particularly dangerous attack surface. An authenticated attacker with low privileges can exploit these weaknesses to execute arbitrary commands on the underlying operating system, potentially compromising the entire analytics infrastructure.

The attack requires network access and low-privilege authentication, but no user interaction is needed for exploitation. The scope of impact extends beyond the vulnerable component itself, affecting confidentiality, integrity, and availability of both the primary system and potentially connected systems.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2025-3115 lies in insufficient input validation and sanitization across multiple Spotfire components. Specifically:

Code Injection Flaw: Functions that process user-controlled input fail to properly neutralize special elements that could be interpreted as code, allowing injection of executable commands.
File Upload Validation Bypass: The filename validation mechanism during file uploads is inadequate, enabling attackers to bypass security controls and upload files with executable extensions or path traversal sequences.

These validation failures violate the principle of treating all user input as untrusted and demonstrate gaps in the application's defense-in-depth strategy.

Attack Vector

The attack exploits network-accessible interfaces in TIBCO Spotfire products. An authenticated attacker with minimal privileges can:

Craft malicious payloads containing injected code targeting vulnerable functions
Submit specially crafted file uploads with manipulated filenames to bypass validation
Achieve code execution within the application context
Potentially escalate to operating system-level command execution

The vulnerability manifests in the code generation and file handling functions within the Spotfire platform. Attackers can leverage injection points to execute arbitrary commands, while the file upload bypass allows persistent backdoor placement. For detailed technical information, refer to the Spotfire Security Advisory.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-3115

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected file uploads with unusual extensions (.jsp, .php, .exe, .sh) in Spotfire upload directories
Anomalous process spawning from Spotfire application processes
Unusual outbound network connections from Spotfire servers
Suspicious R script execution or statistics service calls containing shell metacharacters

Detection Strategies

Monitor Spotfire application logs for malformed requests containing injection patterns such as shell metacharacters, code delimiters, or path traversal sequences
Implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block code injection attempts targeting Spotfire endpoints
Configure endpoint detection to alert on child processes spawned by Spotfire services (e.g., cmd.exe, powershell.exe, /bin/sh, /bin/bash)
Audit file upload directories for newly created files with executable permissions or suspicious extensions

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable verbose logging on Spotfire Statistics Services and Enterprise Runtime for R components
Deploy file integrity monitoring (FIM) on Spotfire installation directories and upload paths
Configure SIEM alerts for authentication anomalies followed by suspicious API calls to Spotfire services
Monitor system resource usage for signs of cryptominer deployment or data exfiltration post-exploitation

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-3115

Immediate Actions Required

Review the Spotfire Security Advisory and apply vendor-recommended patches immediately
Restrict network access to Spotfire services using firewall rules, limiting exposure to trusted networks only
Implement strict file upload validation at the web server or reverse proxy level as an additional defense layer
Audit user accounts with access to Spotfire and remove unnecessary privileges

Patch Information

TIBCO has released security updates to address CVE-2025-3115. Organizations should consult the official Spotfire Security Advisory (April 8, 2025) for specific version information and upgrade instructions. The following products require updates:

Spotfire Statistics Services: Upgrade to patched versions beyond 14.4.1
Spotfire Enterprise Runtime for R: Upgrade to patched versions beyond 1.21.1
Spotfire Analyst: Upgrade to patched versions beyond 14.4.1
Spotfire Deployment Kit: Upgrade to patched versions beyond 14.4.1
Spotfire Desktop and Analytics Platform: Apply latest security updates

Workarounds

Implement network segmentation to isolate Spotfire servers from untrusted networks
Deploy a reverse proxy with strict input validation rules in front of Spotfire services
Disable or restrict access to R script execution and statistics services if not required for business operations
Enable application-level authentication with strong password policies and multi-factor authentication (MFA)

bash

# Example: Restrict Spotfire service access via iptables
# Allow only trusted internal networks to access Spotfire ports
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 443 -s 10.0.0.0/8 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 443 -j DROP

# Monitor for suspicious file uploads
find /opt/spotfire/uploads -type f -name "*.sh" -o -name "*.exe" -o -name "*.jsp" 2>/dev/null