CVE-2025-4967 Overview
CVE-2025-4967 is a Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) protection bypass vulnerability affecting Esri Portal for ArcGIS version 11.4 and prior. This vulnerability allows a remote, unauthenticated attacker to bypass the Portal's SSRF protections, potentially enabling unauthorized access to internal resources and services that should not be externally accessible.
Critical Impact
Unauthenticated attackers can bypass SSRF protections to access internal network resources, potentially compromising sensitive data and internal services behind the Portal for ArcGIS deployment.
Affected Products
- Esri Portal for ArcGIS 11.4
- Esri Portal for ArcGIS versions prior to 11.4
- All unpatched Portal for ArcGIS deployments
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-05-29 - CVE-2025-4967 published to NVD
- 2025-12-15 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-4967
Vulnerability Analysis
This vulnerability is classified under CWE-918 (Server-Side Request Forgery), which occurs when a web application fetches remote resources without properly validating user-supplied input. In the case of Esri Portal for ArcGIS, the existing SSRF protections can be bypassed by a remote attacker without requiring any authentication.
SSRF vulnerabilities are particularly dangerous in enterprise GIS environments because Portal for ArcGIS often has access to internal mapping services, geospatial databases, and other sensitive backend infrastructure. The ability to bypass SSRF protections means attackers can potentially:
- Access internal services and APIs not intended for public exposure
- Retrieve sensitive configuration data or credentials
- Pivot to attack other internal systems using the Portal as a proxy
- Exfiltrate geospatial data and metadata from internal sources
Root Cause
The root cause of CVE-2025-4967 lies in insufficient validation of user-controlled input when the Portal processes requests that involve fetching external or internal resources. The existing SSRF protection mechanisms fail to adequately sanitize or validate certain request patterns, allowing attackers to craft malicious requests that circumvent these protections.
Attack Vector
This vulnerability is exploitable over the network without requiring authentication or user interaction. An attacker can send specially crafted requests to the Portal for ArcGIS instance to bypass SSRF protections. The attack surface includes any network-exposed Portal for ArcGIS endpoint that processes URLs or resource references.
The attack typically involves manipulating URL parameters or request payloads in ways that the SSRF protection logic does not anticipate, allowing the attacker to redirect server-side requests to arbitrary internal or external destinations.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-4967
Indicators of Compromise
- Unusual outbound requests from Portal for ArcGIS servers to internal IP ranges (e.g., 10.x.x.x, 172.16.x.x, 192.168.x.x)
- Requests containing URL encoding variations or IP address obfuscation techniques
- Anomalous requests to internal services or cloud metadata endpoints (e.g., 169.254.169.254)
- Error logs indicating failed connections to unexpected internal hosts
Detection Strategies
- Implement network traffic analysis to identify unusual request patterns originating from Portal for ArcGIS servers
- Configure web application firewalls (WAF) to detect and block SSRF attack patterns including IP obfuscation and URL manipulation
- Enable detailed logging for all outbound requests made by the Portal application
- Deploy intrusion detection rules specifically targeting SSRF bypass techniques
Monitoring Recommendations
- Monitor Portal for ArcGIS access logs for requests containing internal IP addresses or localhost references
- Set up alerts for outbound connections from Portal servers to non-whitelisted destinations
- Review DNS query logs from Portal servers for resolution of internal hostnames from external requests
- Track any authentication failures or access attempts to internal services originating from the Portal infrastructure
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-4967
Immediate Actions Required
- Apply the Esri Portal for ArcGIS Security 2025 Update 3 patch immediately
- Review and restrict network access from Portal for ArcGIS servers to only necessary internal resources
- Implement network segmentation to limit the Portal's access to sensitive internal systems
- Enable enhanced logging to detect potential exploitation attempts
Patch Information
Esri has released a security patch to address this vulnerability. Administrators should apply the Portal for ArcGIS Security 2025 Update 3 Patch as soon as possible. Review the official Esri security advisory for detailed installation instructions and any prerequisites.
Workarounds
- Implement strict egress filtering on Portal for ArcGIS servers to block outbound connections to internal network ranges
- Deploy a web application firewall with SSRF detection capabilities in front of the Portal
- Restrict Portal for ArcGIS access to trusted networks only until the patch can be applied
- Consider temporarily disabling features that allow external resource fetching if not required for operations
# Example: Network segmentation using iptables to restrict outbound access
# Block Portal server from accessing internal network ranges
iptables -A OUTPUT -s <portal_server_ip> -d 10.0.0.0/8 -j DROP
iptables -A OUTPUT -s <portal_server_ip> -d 172.16.0.0/12 -j DROP
iptables -A OUTPUT -s <portal_server_ip> -d 192.168.0.0/16 -j DROP
iptables -A OUTPUT -s <portal_server_ip> -d 169.254.169.254 -j DROP
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
