CVE-2025-1782: Critical Vulnerability in HylaFAX Enterprise Web Interface and AvantFAX

Overview

In the world of cybersecurity, it has come to light that a critical vulnerability, designated as CVE-2025-1782, exists in the HylaFAX Enterprise Web Interface and AvantFAX. This flaw has been identified as a severe threat due to its potential misuse to include an arbitrary file in the PHP code. This could potentially grant an attacker the ability to perform any action as the web server user, posing a major security risk to any enterprise using these interfaces.
The severity of this flaw lies in its potential for system compromise and data leakage, thus highlighting the importance of immediate mitigation measures. The fact that this vulnerability requires the attacker to be authenticated with a valid user account does not diminish its significance, as phishing attacks and other methods to acquire valid credentials are common attack vectors.

Vulnerability Summary

CVE ID: CVE-2025-1782
Severity: Critical, with a CVSS score of 9.9
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: User level
User Interaction: Required
Impact: Potential system compromise and data leakage

Affected Products

Product | Affected Versions

HylaFAX Enterprise Web Interface | All current versions
AvantFAX | All current versions

How the Exploit Works

The exploit takes advantage of the fact that the language form element in HylaFAX Enterprise Web Interface and AvantFAX is not properly sanitized before being used. This allows a malicious actor to include an arbitrary file in the PHP code, effectively gaining the ability to perform any action as the web server user. This could lead to unauthorized access, data theft, or even entire system compromise.

Conceptual Example Code

Here is a conceptual example of how the vulnerability might be exploited:

POST /hylafax_login HTTP/1.1
Host: vulnerable.example.com
Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded
username=validuser&password=validpassword&language=../../../../var/www/html/malicious.php

In this example, the attacker is able to include their malicious PHP file by manipulating the language parameter in the POST request. The server then executes the arbitrary PHP file, leading to potential system compromise or data leakage.

Mitigation Guidance

The most effective way to mitigate this vulnerability is to apply the vendor patch as soon as it becomes available. In the interim, users can use a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or an Intrusion Detection System (IDS) to detect and prevent potential exploits. Regularly auditing system logs for suspicious activity and ensuring that all users follow best practices for password security can also help minimize the risk.