CVE-2025-46274 Overview
CVE-2025-46274 is a critical hardcoded credentials vulnerability affecting UNI-NMS-Lite, a network management system. The vulnerability allows unauthenticated attackers to exploit hard-coded credentials embedded within the application to gain unauthorized access to the managed database. Once access is obtained, attackers can read, manipulate, and create entries in the database, potentially compromising the integrity and confidentiality of critical network management data.
Critical Impact
Unauthenticated remote attackers can leverage hard-coded credentials to gain full database access, enabling data theft, manipulation, and persistence within industrial control system environments.
Affected Products
- UNI-NMS-Lite Network Management System
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-04-24 - CVE-2025-46274 published to NVD
- 2025-04-29 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-46274
Vulnerability Analysis
This vulnerability falls under CWE-798 (Use of Hard-Coded Credentials), a well-known security weakness where authentication credentials are embedded directly into the application's source code or configuration files. In the case of UNI-NMS-Lite, these hard-coded credentials provide direct access to the managed database without requiring any authentication from the attacker.
The network-accessible nature of this vulnerability significantly increases its risk profile. Attackers can remotely target exposed UNI-NMS-Lite installations without needing prior access to the target environment. The lack of any authentication requirement means that anyone who discovers the hard-coded credentials can immediately exploit the vulnerability.
Root Cause
The root cause of CVE-2025-46274 lies in insecure software development practices where database credentials were embedded directly into the application code or configuration files. This approach eliminates the need for proper credential management but creates a significant security vulnerability, as these credentials cannot be easily changed and are discoverable through reverse engineering or code analysis.
Hard-coded credentials are particularly dangerous in network management systems like UNI-NMS-Lite, as these systems often have privileged access to critical infrastructure components and contain sensitive configuration data about the managed network.
Attack Vector
The attack vector for this vulnerability is network-based, allowing remote exploitation. An attacker targeting CVE-2025-46274 would follow this general approach:
- Identify an exposed UNI-NMS-Lite installation on the network
- Extract or discover the hard-coded database credentials through reverse engineering, documentation analysis, or public disclosure
- Connect directly to the database service using the discovered credentials
- Perform unauthorized operations including reading sensitive data, modifying configurations, or creating malicious entries
The exploitation requires no user interaction and can be performed by any attacker with network access to the vulnerable system. Organizations should consult the CISA ICS Advisory ICSA-25-114-06 for detailed technical information about this vulnerability.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-46274
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected database connections from unknown or external IP addresses to the UNI-NMS-Lite database server
- Anomalous database queries or bulk data extraction operations outside normal operational patterns
- New or modified database entries that were not created through legitimate application workflows
- Authentication logs showing connections using the hard-coded credentials from unusual sources
Detection Strategies
- Implement database activity monitoring to detect unauthorized access attempts and unusual query patterns
- Deploy network monitoring solutions to identify connections to the database service from unexpected sources
- Configure intrusion detection systems (IDS) to alert on database protocol traffic originating from untrusted network segments
- Review database audit logs regularly for signs of unauthorized access or data manipulation
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable comprehensive database audit logging to capture all authentication attempts and queries
- Monitor network traffic patterns to and from systems running UNI-NMS-Lite
- Set up alerts for database connections that do not originate from authorized application servers
- Implement anomaly detection for database operations that deviate from established baselines
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-46274
Immediate Actions Required
- Isolate UNI-NMS-Lite installations from untrusted networks and restrict database access to authorized hosts only
- Implement network segmentation to limit exposure of the database service
- Apply firewall rules to block external access to the database port
- Review the CISA ICS Advisory ICSA-25-114-06 for vendor-specific remediation guidance
Patch Information
Organizations should consult the CISA ICS Advisory ICSA-25-114-06 for official patch information and remediation steps from the vendor. Apply any available security updates as soon as they become available.
Workarounds
- Restrict network access to the database service using host-based firewall rules or network access control lists (ACLs)
- Implement network segmentation to isolate UNI-NMS-Lite from untrusted network segments
- Deploy a web application firewall (WAF) or database firewall to monitor and filter database traffic
- Consider implementing a jump server or bastion host for administrative access to the system
# Example: Restrict database access using iptables
# Allow connections only from authorized application server
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 3306 -s 10.0.1.100 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 3306 -j DROP
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
