CVE-2025-62788 Overview
CVE-2025-62788 is a use-after-free vulnerability [CWE-416] in Wazuh, an open source platform for threat prevention, detection, and response. The flaw resides in the w_copy_event_for_log() function, which references memory that was previously freed after initial allocation in OS_CleanMSG(). A compromised Wazuh agent can send a specially crafted message to the Wazuh manager, triggering reuse of freed memory and potentially corrupting valid data within the manager process. The issue affects Wazuh versions prior to 4.11.0 and is fixed in release 4.11.0.
Critical Impact
A compromised agent can corrupt the Wazuh manager's memory by sending a crafted message, potentially compromising application integrity across the monitored fleet.
Affected Products
- Wazuh versions prior to 4.11.0
- Wazuh manager component processing agent messages
- Deployments where untrusted or compromised agents can reach the manager
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-10-29 - CVE-2025-62788 published to the National Vulnerability Database
- 2025-11-03 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-62788
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability is a use-after-free condition in the Wazuh manager's message processing pipeline. The function w_copy_event_for_log() accesses a memory region that was initially allocated by OS_CleanMSG() but freed before the copy operation completes. When the manager processes an attacker-crafted agent message, the dereferenced pointer may point to memory that has been reallocated for unrelated data. This results in corruption of valid data structures or undefined behavior within the manager process, depending on heap state at the time of the reference.
Root Cause
The root cause is improper lifetime management of a heap buffer shared between OS_CleanMSG() and w_copy_event_for_log(). The first function releases the buffer while the second function still holds a reference, violating heap allocator contracts. This is a classic CWE-416 (Use After Free) pattern where freed memory is read or written, leading to integrity loss when the allocator hands out the same chunk to another caller.
Attack Vector
Exploitation requires the attacker to control or compromise a Wazuh agent that is authenticated to the target manager. The attacker constructs a malformed event message and transmits it through the standard agent-to-manager channel. The CVSS 4.0 vector indicates network reachability with low attack complexity, no required privileges on the manager itself, and an availability/integrity-limited impact scope. No user interaction on the manager side is needed for the freed pointer to be dereferenced during normal log processing.
No public proof-of-concept exploit code is available for CVE-2025-62788 at this time. Refer to the Wazuh GitHub Security Advisory GHSA-qjcw-fjvh-8q4g for vendor-supplied technical details.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-62788
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected crashes, restarts, or segmentation faults in the Wazuh manager wazuh-analysisd process
- Malformed or truncated agent event entries appearing in archives.log or alerts.log
- Agents transmitting unusually large, malformed, or high-frequency event payloads to the manager
Detection Strategies
- Monitor Wazuh manager process health and correlate restarts with inbound agent message patterns
- Audit installed Wazuh versions across the fleet and flag any manager running a version earlier than 4.11.0
- Inspect agent message logs for non-conforming or anomalously structured payloads originating from individual endpoints
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable verbose logging on the Wazuh analysis daemon to capture parser failures associated with crafted messages
- Alert on repeated abnormal terminations of wazuh-analysisd or wazuh-remoted services
- Track agent reputation and isolate agents that exhibit anomalous outbound message behavior toward the manager
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-62788
Immediate Actions Required
- Upgrade all Wazuh manager and agent installations to version 4.11.0 or later
- Audit and rotate credentials for any Wazuh agent suspected of compromise prior to patching
- Restrict network access to the manager so only trusted, enrolled agents can reach the agent registration and event ports
Patch Information
Wazuh fixed CVE-2025-62788 in version 4.11.0. The fix corrects the memory lifetime handling between OS_CleanMSG() and w_copy_event_for_log() so that the buffer is no longer referenced after being freed. Administrators should consult the Wazuh Security Advisory GHSA-qjcw-fjvh-8q4g for upgrade guidance and verify manager and agent versions after deployment.
Workarounds
- No vendor-supplied workaround exists; upgrading to 4.11.0 is the supported remediation
- Limit manager exposure by placing it behind network segmentation that only permits known agent IP ranges
- Harden agent endpoints to reduce the likelihood of an attacker gaining the agent-level foothold required to deliver the crafted message
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
