{"id":"CVE-2025-40538","state":"PUBLISHED","title":"SolarWinds Serv-U Broken Access Control Remote Code Execution Vulnerability","description":"A broken access control vulnerability exists in Serv-U which when exploited, gives a malicious actor the ability to create a system admin user and execute arbitrary code as a privileged account via domain admin or group admin privileges.\n\nThis issue requires administrative privileges to abuse. On Windows deployments, the risk is scored as a medium because services frequently run under less-privileged service accounts by default.","publishedAt":"2026-02-24T07:40:12.958Z","updatedAt":"2026-02-26T14:44:09.848Z","severity":{"score":9.1,"label":"Critical","version":"3.1","vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H","source":"SolarWinds"},"assigner":"SolarWinds","products":["SolarWinds Serv-U"],"affected":[{"vendor":"SolarWinds","product":"Serv-U","defaultStatus":"affected","versions":[{"version":"SolarWinds Serv-U 15.5.3 and prior versions","status":"affected"}],"platforms":["Windows","Linux"]}],"references":["https://www.solarwinds.com/trust-center/security-advisories/CVE-2025-40538","https://documentation.solarwinds.com/en/success_center/servu/content/release_notes/servu_15-5-4_release_notes.htm"],"weaknesses":["CWE-269"],"ingestedAt":"2026-10-29T20:09:09.358Z","source":{"repository":"CVEProject/cvelistV5","path":"cves/2025/40xxx/CVE-2025-40538.json","commit":"556c9d3a8cd17e218bb8e452ba7cd619a384ff47"},"raw":{"dataType":"CVE_RECORD","dataVersion":"5.2","cveMetadata":{"cveId":"CVE-2025-40538","state":"PUBLISHED","datePublished":"2026-02-24T07:40:12.958Z","dateUpdated":"2026-02-26T14:44:09.848Z","assignerShortName":"SolarWinds","assignerOrgId":"49f11609-934d-4621-84e6-e02e032104d6","dateReserved":"2025-04-16T08:00:57.647Z"},"containers":{"cna":{"title":"SolarWinds Serv-U Broken Access Control Remote Code Execution Vulnerability","descriptions":[{"lang":"en","value":"A broken access control vulnerability exists in Serv-U which when exploited, gives a malicious actor the ability to create a system admin user and execute arbitrary code as a privileged account via domain admin or group admin privileges.\n\nThis issue requires administrative privileges to abuse. On Windows deployments, the risk is scored as a medium because services frequently run under less-privileged service accounts by default."}],"affected":[{"vendor":"SolarWinds","product":"Serv-U","defaultStatus":"affected","versions":[{"version":"SolarWinds Serv-U 15.5.3 and prior versions","status":"affected"}],"platforms":["Windows","Linux"]}],"references":[{"url":"https://www.solarwinds.com/trust-center/security-advisories/CVE-2025-40538"},{"url":"https://documentation.solarwinds.com/en/success_center/servu/content/release_notes/servu_15-5-4_release_notes.htm"}],"metrics":[{"cvssV3_1":{"attackComplexity":"LOW","attackVector":"NETWORK","availabilityImpact":"HIGH","baseScore":9.1,"baseSeverity":"CRITICAL","confidentialityImpact":"HIGH","integrityImpact":"HIGH","privilegesRequired":"HIGH","scope":"CHANGED","userInteraction":"NONE","vectorString":"CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H","version":"3.1"},"format":"CVSS","scenarios":[{"lang":"en","value":"GENERAL"}]}],"problemTypes":[{"descriptions":[{"cweId":"CWE-269","description":"CWE-269 Improper Privilege Management","lang":"en","type":"CWE"}]}],"providerMetadata":{"shortName":"SolarWinds","orgId":"49f11609-934d-4621-84e6-e02e032104d6","dateUpdated":"2026-02-24T07:40:12.958Z"},"datePublic":"2026-02-24T07:23:00.000Z","impacts":[{"capecId":"CAPEC-233","descriptions":[{"lang":"en","value":"CAPEC-233 Privilege Escalation"}]}],"solutions":[{"lang":"en","supportingMedia":[{"base64":false,"type":"text/html","value":"SolarWinds recommends that customers upgrade to SolarWinds Serv-U 15.5.4 as soon as it becomes available.\n\n<br>"}],"value":"SolarWinds recommends that customers upgrade to SolarWinds Serv-U 15.5.4 as soon as it becomes available."}],"source":{"discovery":"UNKNOWN"},"x_generator":{"engine":"Vulnogram 0.1.0-dev"}},"adp":[{"title":"CISA ADP Vulnrichment","metrics":[{"other":{"type":"ssvc","content":{"id":"CVE-2025-40538","role":"CISA Coordinator","options":[{"Exploitation":"none"},{"Automatable":"no"},{"Technical Impact":"total"}],"version":"2.0.3","timestamp":"2026-02-25T04:55:30.568444Z"}}}],"providerMetadata":{"shortName":"CISA-ADP","orgId":"134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0","dateUpdated":"2026-02-26T14:44:09.848Z"}}]}}}