CVE-2025-41716: Information Disclosure Vulnerability

CVE-2025-41716 Overview

CVE-2025-41716 is an information disclosure vulnerability affecting a web application that fails to authenticate a critical function. An unauthenticated remote attacker can query the application over the network to enumerate existing user accounts and their assigned roles. The weakness maps to [CWE-306] Missing Authentication for Critical Function. CERT VDE tracks the issue under advisory VDE-2025-087.

The vulnerability does not permit modification or service disruption, but the disclosed data supports downstream attacks. Attackers can use enumerated accounts and roles to prioritize credential stuffing, password spraying, and targeted phishing against privileged users.

Critical Impact
Unauthenticated network attackers can enumerate valid usernames and their roles, enabling targeted follow-on attacks against administrative and privileged accounts.

Affected Products

Product details are not published in the NVD entry at this time
Refer to the CERT VDE Advisory VDE-2025-087 for the vendor-confirmed product list
Deployments exposing the affected web application to untrusted networks are in scope

Discovery Timeline

2025-09-24 - CVE-2025-41716 published to NVD
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-41716

Vulnerability Analysis

The web application exposes a function that returns user account information without verifying the caller's identity. An unauthenticated attacker sends crafted HTTP requests to the endpoint and receives responses describing which accounts exist and what role each account holds. No credentials, tokens, or session context are required.

The flaw is classified as an information disclosure issue with network attack vector and low attack complexity. Confidentiality is impacted; integrity and availability are not. The EPSS score is 0.361% at the 28th percentile, indicating low observed exploitation probability, though enumeration flaws are often chained into larger campaigns.

Root Cause

The root cause is a missing authentication check on a function that returns sensitive account metadata [CWE-306]. Developers exposed the endpoint to the web tier without enforcing a session, API key, or role check before returning user records. The response leaks both the account identifier and the associated role assignment.

Attack Vector

Exploitation requires only network access to the web application. An attacker iterates through candidate identifiers or requests the enumeration endpoint directly to build a full inventory of valid accounts. The returned role data lets the attacker rank targets by privilege before launching credential attacks. See the CERT VDE Advisory VDE-2025-087 for endpoint-specific technical details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-41716

Indicators of Compromise

Bursts of anonymous HTTP requests to user or account-related API endpoints from a single source
Sequential or dictionary-based iteration over user identifiers in web server access logs
HTTP 200 responses containing role or account fields returned to unauthenticated sessions
Follow-on authentication activity concentrated on accounts previously queried anonymously

Detection Strategies

Instrument the affected endpoint to log every request, including missing authentication headers, and alert on anonymous access
Correlate anonymous access to account endpoints with subsequent failed login attempts against the same usernames
Deploy a web application firewall rule that blocks unauthenticated access to account enumeration paths

Monitoring Recommendations

Baseline normal traffic volume to user-management endpoints and alert on statistical deviations
Track distinct account identifiers requested per source IP within a short time window
Forward web application and authentication logs to a centralized platform for cross-source correlation

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-41716

Immediate Actions Required

Review the CERT VDE Advisory VDE-2025-087 and confirm whether deployed products match the affected versions
Restrict network exposure of the affected web application to trusted management networks or VPN access
Enable authentication and authorization enforcement on all account-related endpoints
Rotate credentials for high-privilege accounts if logs show prior anonymous enumeration activity

Patch Information

Consult the CERT VDE Advisory VDE-2025-087 for vendor-supplied fixed versions and remediation guidance. Apply the vendor patch as soon as it is available for the affected product and version. The NVD entry does not currently list specific fixed builds.

Workarounds

Place the web application behind a reverse proxy that requires authentication before forwarding requests to account endpoints
Apply network-layer access control lists to permit only administrative source ranges to reach the management interface
Configure a web application firewall to reject requests to affected paths that lack a valid session cookie or authorization header
Rate-limit requests to user-lookup endpoints to slow enumeration attempts until a patch is deployed

bash

# Example nginx snippet to require authentication on account endpoints
location /api/users {
    auth_request /_auth;
    limit_req zone=api_limit burst=5 nodelay;
    proxy_pass http://app_backend;
}