CVE-2025-62341: HCL Connections SSRF Vulnerability

CVE-2025-62341 Overview

CVE-2025-62341 is a Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) vulnerability in HCL Connections. The flaw allows an attacker who has already compromised an internal server to send unauthorized requests through the application. Successful exploitation can lead to information disclosure or bypass of security controls in specific deployment scenarios. The issue is tracked under CWE-918: Server-Side Request Forgery.

Critical Impact
An authenticated attacker with an existing foothold on an internal server can abuse HCL Connections to issue crafted requests that disclose sensitive data or bypass network-based access restrictions.

Affected Products

HCL Connections (refer to vendor advisory for affected versions)

Discovery Timeline

2026-08-26 - CVE-2025-62341 published to NVD
2026-08-26 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-62341

Vulnerability Analysis

HCL Connections is an enterprise collaboration platform that integrates with a variety of internal services. This vulnerability arises when the application processes requests that reference server-controlled resources without adequate validation. When an internal server in the deployment has already been compromised, an attacker can leverage Connections to reach systems or endpoints that would otherwise be shielded from external access.

Successful exploitation requires an existing foothold and user interaction, which raises the exploitation barrier. However, once the preconditions are met, the attacker can enumerate internal services, exfiltrate limited data, or bypass network-segmentation controls that assume the Connections server is trusted.

Root Cause

The root cause is insufficient validation of destinations in server-issued requests, consistent with [CWE-918]. The application accepts input that influences an outbound HTTP request without restricting the target to an allowlist of intended resources.

Attack Vector

The attack is network-based and requires low privileges plus user interaction. An attacker who controls an internal server can induce the HCL Connections instance to send requests to targets of their choosing, including internal endpoints or metadata services. The impact is limited to partial information disclosure and partial integrity loss.

No verified proof-of-concept code has been published. Refer to the HCL Software Knowledge Base Article for vendor-supplied technical details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-62341

Indicators of Compromise

Outbound HTTP or HTTPS requests from the HCL Connections server to unexpected internal IP ranges, cloud metadata endpoints (169.254.169.254), or loopback addresses.
Anomalous request patterns in Connections application logs referencing user-supplied URLs or hostnames.
Evidence of prior compromise on internal servers that communicate with the Connections deployment.

Detection Strategies

Inspect web server and reverse-proxy logs for outbound requests originating from the Connections process to non-standard destinations.
Correlate authentication events with subsequent server-initiated requests to identify sessions abused for SSRF.
Deploy egress network monitoring to flag traffic from the Connections host to RFC1918 ranges outside its normal service dependencies.

Monitoring Recommendations

Baseline the legitimate destinations of Connections outbound traffic and alert on deviations.
Monitor internal identity and authentication services for unusual access originating from the Connections server IP.
Ingest Connections logs into a centralized analytics platform to enable retroactive hunting for SSRF patterns.

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-62341

Immediate Actions Required

Apply the vendor-provided fix documented in the HCL Software Knowledge Base Article.
Audit internal servers that communicate with HCL Connections for prior compromise and remediate any identified footholds.
Restrict outbound network access from the Connections host to only the destinations required for operation.

Patch Information

HCL has published mitigation guidance through the referenced knowledge base article. Administrators should consult the vendor advisory for the specific fixed release and apply it in accordance with their change-management processes.

Workarounds

Enforce egress filtering on the Connections server to block requests to internal management networks, loopback interfaces, and cloud metadata endpoints.
Place the Connections deployment behind a forward proxy that enforces destination allowlists for outbound HTTP traffic.
Segment internal services so that a compromised host cannot leverage Connections to reach sensitive systems.

bash

# Example egress restriction using iptables to block cloud metadata access
iptables -A OUTPUT -d 169.254.169.254 -j DROP
iptables -A OUTPUT -d 127.0.0.0/8 ! -o lo -j DROP