CVE-2025-48957 Overview
CVE-2025-48957 is a path traversal vulnerability affecting AstrBot, a large language model chatbot and development framework. The vulnerability is present in versions 3.4.4 through 3.5.12 and may lead to significant information disclosure, including API keys for LLM providers, account passwords, and other sensitive data stored within the application.
Critical Impact
Unauthenticated attackers can exploit this path traversal flaw to access sensitive configuration files containing API keys, passwords, and other credentials, potentially compromising connected LLM services and user accounts.
Affected Products
- AstrBot versions 3.4.4 through 3.5.12
- AstrBot dashboard component
Discovery Timeline
- June 2, 2025 - CVE-2025-48957 published to NVD
- June 25, 2025 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-48957
Vulnerability Analysis
This path traversal vulnerability (CWE-22, CWE-23) exists in the AstrBot dashboard feature and allows attackers to read arbitrary files on the system by manipulating file path parameters. The attack can be conducted remotely without requiring authentication or user interaction.
The vulnerability enables attackers to traverse outside of the intended directory structure by using special path sequences. When successfully exploited, attackers can access files containing highly sensitive information such as LLM provider API keys, stored passwords, and other confidential configuration data. This type of information disclosure can lead to secondary attacks including unauthorized access to connected AI services and potential financial impact from API key abuse.
Root Cause
The root cause of this vulnerability lies in inadequate input validation of user-supplied file path parameters within the AstrBot dashboard component. The application fails to properly sanitize path traversal sequences (such as ../) before processing file access requests. This allows attackers to break out of the intended directory and access files anywhere on the filesystem that the application has read permissions for.
Attack Vector
The vulnerability is exploitable over the network with low attack complexity. An attacker does not need any privileges or user interaction to exploit this flaw. By sending specially crafted HTTP requests to the AstrBot dashboard containing path traversal sequences, an attacker can read sensitive files such as configuration files containing API keys and credentials.
The attack flow typically involves:
- Identifying an AstrBot instance with the dashboard feature enabled
- Crafting malicious requests with path traversal sequences targeting known sensitive file locations
- Extracting sensitive data such as LLM provider API keys, account passwords, and configuration details
For technical details on the exploitation mechanism, refer to the GitHub Security Advisory GHSA-cq37-g2qp-3c2p and the Vicarius Analysis.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-48957
Indicators of Compromise
- HTTP requests to the AstrBot dashboard containing path traversal sequences such as ../, ..%2f, or ..%252f
- Abnormal file access patterns in application logs indicating attempts to read files outside the web directory
- Unexpected access to configuration files like cmd_config.json or credential storage locations
- Evidence of API key abuse or unauthorized access to connected LLM provider services
Detection Strategies
- Implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block path traversal sequences in request parameters
- Monitor AstrBot dashboard access logs for suspicious patterns indicating directory traversal attempts
- Deploy file integrity monitoring on sensitive configuration files to detect unauthorized access
- Utilize network intrusion detection systems (IDS) with signatures for path traversal attacks
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable verbose logging on the AstrBot dashboard to capture all incoming requests and file access attempts
- Set up alerts for any access attempts to files outside the expected web application directories
- Monitor for unusual outbound API traffic to LLM providers that could indicate stolen credential usage
- Regularly audit API key usage patterns at LLM provider dashboards to detect unauthorized access
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-48957
Immediate Actions Required
- Upgrade to AstrBot version 3.5.13 or later immediately to fully remediate this vulnerability
- Review logs for any indicators of prior exploitation attempts
- Rotate all API keys and credentials that may have been exposed if exploitation is suspected
- Limit network access to the AstrBot dashboard to trusted IP ranges until patching is complete
Patch Information
The vulnerability has been addressed in Pull Request #1676 and is included in AstrBot version 3.5.13. The fix is available in commit cceadf222c46813c7f41115b40d371e7eb91e492. Organizations should upgrade to version 3.5.13 or later to fully resolve this issue.
Workarounds
- Edit the cmd_config.json file to disable the dashboard feature as a temporary workaround until patching can be completed
- Restrict network access to the AstrBot dashboard using firewall rules to allow only trusted administrative IPs
- Deploy a reverse proxy with path traversal filtering in front of the AstrBot dashboard
- Consider temporarily disabling the AstrBot instance if it contains highly sensitive credentials and cannot be immediately patched
# Temporary workaround: Disable dashboard in cmd_config.json
# Edit the configuration file and set dashboard_enabled to false
# Note: This is a temporary measure - upgrade to v3.5.13 is strongly recommended
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
