CVE-2025-62713: Kottster Node.js Admin Panel RCE Vulnerability

CVE-2025-62713 Overview

CVE-2025-62713 is a pre-authentication remote code execution (RCE) vulnerability in Kottster, a self-hosted Node.js admin panel. The flaw affects Kottster versions 3.2.0 through versions before 3.3.2 when the application runs in development mode. Attackers can reach the development server over the network and execute arbitrary operating system commands without authentication. Production deployments were never affected by this issue. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-78, OS command injection. The maintainers released version 3.3.2 to fix the issue.

Critical Impact

Unauthenticated attackers with network access to a Kottster development instance can execute arbitrary commands on the host, leading to full system compromise of developer workstations and CI environments.

Affected Products

• Kottster versions 3.2.0 up to (but not including) 3.3.2
• Kottster instances running in development mode only
• Node.js admin panel deployments built on the affected Kottster CLI

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-10-23 - CVE-2025-62713 published to NVD
• 2026-04-15 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-62713

Vulnerability Analysis

Kottster exposes a development server intended for local engineering use. In the affected versions, that server processes input that flows into operating system command execution without sufficient validation. An attacker who can reach the development port can craft a request that triggers command injection in the underlying shell context. Because the path is reachable before any authentication check, exploitation requires only network connectivity to the running development instance. Successful exploitation yields code execution under the privileges of the user running the Kottster development process, typically a developer account with broad access to source code, credentials, and connected data sources.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper neutralization of special elements used in an OS command [CWE-78] within the project bootstrap and file creation logic exercised by the development workflow. User-controllable input was concatenated into command strings or arguments invoked by the CLI service, allowing shell metacharacters to break out of the intended argument context.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based and requires no authentication or user interaction. An attacker sends a crafted request to an exposed Kottster development server, embedding shell metacharacters or command separators in the targeted parameter. The development process executes the injected command on behalf of the attacker.

// Security patch in packages/cli/cli/services/fileCreator.service.ts
 import { dataSourcesTypeData, DataSourceType } from '@kottster/common'
 import { FileTemplateManager } from './fileTemplateManager.service'
 import { VERSION } from '../version'
+import { PackageManager } from '../models/packageManager'

 interface FileCreatorOptions {
   projectDir?: string

// Security patch in packages/cli/cli/actions/newProject.action.ts
     })
     fileCreator.createProject({
       projectName,
+      packageManager: projectSetupData.packageManager,
     })

     if (options.skipInstall || projectSetupData.skipPackageInstallation) {

Source: Kottster security commit 0a7d249. The patch introduces a typed PackageManager model and routes the package manager selection through validated configuration rather than free-form input, removing the unsanitized path into command execution.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-62713

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected child processes (for example sh, bash, cmd.exe, powershell.exe) spawned by the Node.js process running Kottster in development mode.
• Outbound network connections from a developer workstation initiated by the Kottster Node.js process to unfamiliar hosts.
• New or modified files in the Kottster project directory that were not produced by the developer.
• HTTP requests to the local Kottster development port containing shell metacharacters such as ;, |, `, or $( in parameter values.

Detection Strategies

• Inventory Node.js projects that depend on @kottster/cli or kottster at versions >=3.2.0 <3.3.2 using software composition analysis or package-lock.json parsing.
• Hunt for process trees where the Kottster development server is the parent of a shell or interpreter process.
• Alert on Kottster development ports being bound to non-loopback interfaces (0.0.0.0 rather than 127.0.0.1).

Monitoring Recommendations

• Log and review web request payloads to local development services on developer endpoints.
• Monitor for execution of common reconnaissance commands (whoami, id, uname -a) originating from Node.js processes.
• Correlate developer workstation telemetry with source control activity to identify anomalous code or dependency changes following suspicious process events.

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-62713

Immediate Actions Required

• Upgrade Kottster to version 3.3.2 or later across all development environments.
• Audit running Kottster development servers and stop any instance bound to a non-loopback interface.
• Rotate credentials, API tokens, and database secrets that were accessible from any potentially compromised development host.
• Review recent commits and dependency changes from developer workstations that ran affected versions.

Patch Information

The vulnerability is fixed in Kottster 3.3.2. The remediation is tracked in GitHub Security Advisory GHSA-j3w7-9qc3-g96p and applied in commit 0a7d249, which constrains package manager input through a typed model and adds validation in the project creation flow.

Workarounds

• Run Kottster development servers only on the loopback interface (127.0.0.1) and never expose the development port to a LAN, VPN, or the internet.
• Restrict access to development ports with host firewall rules until the upgrade to 3.3.2 is complete.
• Use production builds for any shared or remotely accessible deployment; development mode is not affected once you move to 3.3.2, but production mode was never vulnerable.

# Update Kottster to the patched release
npm install kottster@3.3.2

# Verify the installed version
npm ls kottster

# Bind the development server to localhost only (example)
export HOST=127.0.0.1
npm run dev