CVE-2025-26604

Remediation/Mitigation Strategy for CVE-2025-26604 - Discord-Bot-Framework-Kernel Arbitrary Code Execution

Vulnerability Description:

  • Vulnerability: Arbitrary Code Execution (ACE) in Discord-Bot-Framework-Kernel. This vulnerability stems from the framework’s allowance of user-submitted code execution without sufficient sanitization or security measures. This allows malicious users to execute arbitrary code within the bot’s environment.
  • Affected Component: Discord-Bot-Framework-Kernel versions prior to commit f0d9e70841a0e3170b88c4f8d562018ccd8e8b14.
  • Root Cause: Lack of proper input validation, sanitization, or sandboxing of user-submitted code. The framework directly executes user-provided modules without sufficient security precautions.

Severity:

  • CVSS Score: 8.3 (High)
  • CVSS Vector: AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:L (Network, Low Complexity, Low Privileges Required, No User Interaction, Unchanged Scope, High Confidentiality, High Integrity, Low Availability)
  • Impact: A successful exploit can lead to:
    • Confidentiality Breach: Exposure of sensitive information, including the bot’s token, user data, and potentially data from other services the bot interacts with.
    • Integrity Compromise: Manipulation of bot functionality, allowing attackers to perform actions as the bot, modify data, or deface information presented by the bot.
    • Availability Impact: Denial of service attacks by loading blocking modules, potentially leading to temporary or prolonged downtime of the bot.
  • Overall Severity: Critical due to the high potential for data breach, service disruption, and complete bot control compromise.

Known Exploit:

The vulnerability report details the following exploit scenario:

  1. Module Loading: An attacker loads a malicious module containing arbitrary code.
  2. Token Extraction: The malicious module executes code to extract the bot’s token. The report specifically mentions code can be used to extract the token.
  3. DoS Attack: The attacker loads another module that performs a denial-of-service (DoS) attack, potentially blocking the bot’s event loop and making it unresponsive.
  4. Impersonation: The attacker uses the stolen bot token to create a fake bot instance that impersonates the real bot, potentially deceiving users and causing further harm.
  5. Privilege Escalation: If the original bot has high privileges (e.g., administrative permissions in Discord servers), the attacker gains the same level of access.

Remediation/Mitigation Strategy:

The primary and recommended solution is to upgrade to a patched version of Discord-Bot-Framework-Kernel. If upgrading is not immediately possible, implement the following mitigation steps:

1. Upgrade Discord-Bot-Framework-Kernel:

  • Action: Upgrade to the latest version of Discord-Bot-Framework-Kernel that includes the fix for CVE-2025-26604 (commit f0d9e70841a0e3170b88c4f8d562018ccd8e8b14 or later).
  • Rationale: This is the most effective solution, as it directly addresses the vulnerability by implementing security measures to prevent arbitrary code execution.
  • Implementation: Follow the official upgrade instructions provided by the Discord-Bot-Framework-Kernel maintainers.

2. Disable/Restrict User-Submitted Modules (Short-Term Mitigation):

  • Action: Disable or severely restrict the ability for users to load custom modules, especially from untrusted sources.
  • Rationale: This prevents attackers from injecting malicious code into the bot’s environment. This is a TEMPORARY solution only.
  • Implementation:
    • Remove or comment out any code that allows users to upload or specify modules.
    • Implement strict whitelisting of modules that can be loaded. Only allow modules from trusted, verified sources.
    • If module loading cannot be disabled entirely, implement rigorous code review of any user-submitted module before allowing it to be loaded.

3. Implement Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) and Principle of Least Privilege:

  • Action: Review and refine the bot’s permissions and access within the Discord server(s). Implement role-based access control to restrict the bot’s capabilities to the minimum necessary for its intended function.
  • Rationale: Limiting the bot’s permissions reduces the potential damage an attacker can cause if they gain control of the bot. Even with a fully patched system, it’s good practice to not give the bot more permissions than required.
  • Implementation:
    • Remove unnecessary administrative permissions from the bot.
    • Use Discord’s role-based access control to restrict the bot’s actions within specific channels or categories.

4. Sandboxing/Isolation (Advanced Mitigation):

  • Action: Implement a sandboxing or isolation mechanism for the bot’s runtime environment. This would involve running the bot in a container or virtual machine with restricted access to the host system.
  • Rationale: Even if arbitrary code execution occurs within the sandbox, the attacker will be limited in what they can access and control outside of the isolated environment.
  • Implementation: Use technologies like Docker, Kubernetes, or a similar containerization platform. Configure the container to limit access to sensitive resources on the host system. This is a complex mitigation requiring significant expertise.

5. Monitoring and Logging:

  • Action: Implement robust logging and monitoring of the bot’s activities.
  • Rationale: Early detection of suspicious activity can help prevent or mitigate the impact of an attack. Monitor logs for unusual events, such as unauthorized module loading, unexpected API calls, or errors.
  • Implementation:
    • Enable detailed logging of bot actions.
    • Set up alerts for suspicious events (e.g., excessive resource usage, errors related to module loading).
    • Regularly review logs for potential security breaches.

6. Token Security:

  • Action: Immediately regenerate and rotate the Discord bot token.
  • Rationale: Prevents continued use of the potentially compromised token if an attacker already exfiltrated it.
  • Implementation: Use the Discord Developer Portal to regenerate a new bot token and update the bot’s configuration.

7. User Awareness:

  • Action: Educate users of the Discord bot on the risks of running untrusted code and loading untrusted modules.
  • Rationale: Prevents users from unknowingly introducing vulnerabilities into the bot’s environment.

Timeline:

  • Immediate (within 24 hours): Regenerate bot token, disable/restrict user-submitted modules, and implement role-based access control.
  • Short-Term (within 1 week): Upgrade to the latest version of Discord-Bot-Framework-Kernel. Implement monitoring and logging.
  • Long-Term (within 1 month): Investigate sandboxing/isolation options if required. Implement thorough code review process for any modules.

Responsibility:

  • Security Team/Bot Developers: Responsible for implementing and maintaining these security measures.
  • Discord Server Administrators: Responsible for managing bot permissions within the Discord server and educating users.

Post-Mitigation Testing:

After implementing these steps, perform the following tests:

  • Attempt to load known malicious modules (in a controlled, isolated environment).
  • Verify that logging and monitoring are functioning correctly.
  • Conduct a penetration test to identify any remaining vulnerabilities.

Assigner

Date

  • Published Date: 2025-02-18 19:11:21
  • Updated Date: 2025-02-18 20:15:33

More Details

CVE-2025-26604