CVE-2025-53928 Overview
CVE-2025-53928 is a critical Remote Command Execution (RCE) vulnerability affecting MaxKB, an open-source AI assistant platform designed for enterprise environments. The vulnerability exists in the Model Context Protocol (MCP) call functionality, allowing unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary commands on vulnerable systems remotely over the network.
Critical Impact
This vulnerability enables unauthenticated remote command execution, potentially allowing attackers to gain complete control over affected MaxKB installations and compromise the underlying server infrastructure.
Affected Products
- MaxKB versions prior to 1.10.9-lts (LTS branch)
- MaxKB versions prior to 2.0.0 (main branch)
- All enterprise deployments running unpatched MaxKB instances
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-07-17 - CVE-2025-53928 published to NVD
- 2025-08-02 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-53928
Vulnerability Analysis
This vulnerability is classified as CWE-94 (Improper Control of Generation of Code - Code Injection). The flaw resides in how MaxKB processes MCP (Model Context Protocol) calls, a critical component in the AI assistant's communication architecture. The vulnerability allows attackers to inject and execute arbitrary commands through the MCP interface without requiring any authentication or user interaction.
The network-accessible nature of this vulnerability combined with no prerequisites for exploitation makes it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where MaxKB is deployed to handle sensitive business operations and data.
Root Cause
The root cause stems from improper input validation and sanitization in the MCP call handler. When processing incoming MCP requests, the application fails to adequately validate or sanitize user-controlled input before passing it to system command execution functions. This lack of input validation allows malicious payloads to break out of the intended command context and execute arbitrary system commands with the privileges of the MaxKB application process.
Attack Vector
The vulnerability is exploitable remotely over the network without authentication. An attacker can craft malicious MCP requests containing command injection payloads and send them to a vulnerable MaxKB instance. Upon processing these requests, the application inadvertently executes the injected commands on the underlying operating system.
The attack requires no privileges and no user interaction, making it highly exploitable. Successful exploitation could result in complete compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected system.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-53928
Indicators of Compromise
- Unusual process spawning from the MaxKB application process
- Unexpected outbound network connections from the MaxKB server
- Suspicious MCP call patterns in application logs with malformed or encoded payloads
- Creation of unexpected files or modification of system configurations
Detection Strategies
- Monitor MCP endpoint traffic for anomalous request patterns or command injection signatures
- Implement application-layer firewall rules to inspect and filter MCP requests
- Deploy network intrusion detection systems (NIDS) with signatures for command injection attempts
- Review MaxKB application logs for failed or unusual MCP call processing
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable verbose logging for all MCP call processing in MaxKB
- Set up alerts for process execution anomalies on servers hosting MaxKB
- Monitor network traffic to and from MaxKB instances for unusual patterns
- Implement file integrity monitoring on MaxKB installation directories
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-53928
Immediate Actions Required
- Upgrade MaxKB LTS installations to version 1.10.9-lts or later immediately
- Upgrade MaxKB main branch installations to version 2.0.0 or later immediately
- Restrict network access to MaxKB instances using firewall rules until patching is complete
- Audit systems for signs of compromise before and after patching
Patch Information
The MaxKB development team has addressed this vulnerability in version 1.10.9-lts for the LTS branch and version 2.0.0 for the main branch. Organizations should upgrade to these versions or later to remediate the vulnerability. The official release is available at the GitHub Release v2.0.0 page. Additional details can be found in the GitHub Security Advisory GHSA-38q2-4mm7-qf5h.
Workarounds
- Implement network segmentation to isolate MaxKB instances from untrusted networks
- Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with command injection detection rules in front of MaxKB
- Disable or restrict access to MCP endpoints if not required for operations
- Apply principle of least privilege to the MaxKB service account to limit impact of potential compromise
# Example: Restrict network access to MaxKB using iptables
# Allow only trusted IP ranges to access the MaxKB service port
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 8080 -s 10.0.0.0/8 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 8080 -j DROP
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
