CVE-2025-32406

Vulnerability: CVE-2025-32406 - XXE in NAKIVO Backup & Replication

Description: An External Entity (XXE) vulnerability exists within the Director NBR component of NAKIVO Backup & Replication versions 10.3.x through 11.0.1. This flaw allows remote attackers to potentially fetch and parse XML responses from the server, potentially leading to sensitive information disclosure.

Severity: High

  • CVSS Score: 8.6 (Based on the provided data)
  • This score suggests a significant risk due to the potential for remote exploitation without requiring high privileges. Impact includes data disclosure and potentially system compromise.

Known Exploit: While specific exploit code is not provided, the vulnerability is categorized as XXE. Common XXE exploits involve crafting malicious XML documents that, when parsed by the vulnerable application, allow the attacker to:

  • Read local files from the server.
  • Perform Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) attacks, allowing the attacker to make requests to internal or external services on behalf of the server.
  • Potentially achieve remote code execution in some circumstances (though less common for basic XXE).

Remediation / Mitigation Strategy

1. Immediate Action: Upgrade NAKIVO Backup & Replication

  • The primary and most effective solution is to upgrade NAKIVO Backup & Replication to version 11.0.2 or later. This version contains a fix for the XXE vulnerability. Follow the official NAKIVO upgrade procedure.

2. Input Validation and Sanitization (Short Term - if upgrade is delayed)

  • If an immediate upgrade is not possible, implement robust input validation and sanitization measures on the Director NBR component. Specifically:
    • XML Schema Validation: Enforce strict XML schema validation to ensure that all incoming XML documents conform to a predefined and safe structure. Reject any XML that does not adhere to the schema.
    • Disable External Entities: Disable the processing of external entities within the XML parser. This can be done in most XML parsing libraries. In Java, for example, use setFeature("http://apache.org/xml/features/disallow-doctype-decl", true) and setFeature(XMLConstants.FEATURE_SECURE_PROCESSING, true). Similar configurations exist in other languages.
    • Whitelist Allowed Protocols: If absolutely necessary to allow external entities, create a whitelist of allowed protocols (e.g., http, https) and restrict access to only these protocols. Block file://, ftp://, gopher://, and other potentially dangerous protocols.

3. Web Application Firewall (WAF) Rules (Short Term - if upgrade is delayed)

  • Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) and configure rules to detect and block potential XXE attacks. WAF rules should look for suspicious XML payloads that contain:
    • DOCTYPE declarations.
    • References to external entities (e.g., SYSTEM or PUBLIC identifiers).
    • Attempts to access local files.
    • Attempts to use protocols like file:// or ftp://.

4. Least Privilege Principle

  • Ensure that the NAKIVO Backup & Replication service accounts are running with the minimum necessary privileges. This will limit the impact of a successful exploit.

5. Network Segmentation

  • Implement network segmentation to restrict access to the NAKIVO Backup & Replication server. This can help to contain the impact of a successful exploit.

6. Monitoring and Logging

  • Enhance monitoring and logging of the NAKIVO Backup & Replication server. Specifically:
    • Log all XML parsing events.
    • Monitor for suspicious XML payloads.
    • Alert on any errors related to XML parsing or external entity resolution.

7. Penetration Testing and Vulnerability Scanning

  • Regularly conduct penetration testing and vulnerability scanning to identify and address security vulnerabilities, including XXE.

8. Vendor Communication:

  • Stay informed about security updates and advisories from NAKIVO. Subscribe to their security mailing list or check their website regularly.

9. Incident Response Plan

  • Develop and maintain an incident response plan specific to this environment that defines the steps to take if a successful attack occurs.

Assigner

Date

  • Published Date: 2025-04-08 00:00:00
  • Updated Date: 2025-04-08 18:16:09

More Details

CVE-2025-32406