CVE-2025-2749: Kentico Xperience Path Traversal Vulnerability
Kentico Xperience contains a path traversal vulnerability that could allow an authenticated user's Staging Sync Server to upload arbitrary data to path relative locations.
Overview
Kentico Xperience versions through 13.0.178 contain a path traversal and unrestricted file upload flaw in the Staging Sync Server component. An authenticated attacker can send a crafted SOAP request that writes a server-executable file to an arbitrary location on the web server, then request that file to achieve remote code execution. The flaw is only reachable when the Staging Service is enabled and configured to use username/password authentication, conditions that are not the default but appear common in production deployments.
Vulnerability details
The Staging Sync Server exposes a SOAP endpoint at /CMSPages/Staging/SyncServer.asmx that accepts file upload operations as part of content synchronization. Two weaknesses combine here: the service does not restrict the destination path to a safe directory (CWE-22), and it does not reject dangerous file types such as server-side executables (CWE-434). An attacker who controls the path parameter in the upload request can supply a traversal sequence to place a file anywhere the web server process can write, including directories from which the web server will execute code.
An attacker with high-privilege credentials submits a crafted SOAP request to the Staging Sync Server endpoint, embedding a path-traversal string in the file path field and an ASPX webshell as the file content. The server writes the webshell to the attacker-chosen location. The attacker then sends an HTTP request to that path, causing the web server to execute the uploaded code and returning a shell or command output. Full control of the web application and potentially the underlying host follows. Exploitation requires the Staging Service to be active and configured for username/password authentication; X.509-based authentication is not affected.
Severity and impact
Exploitation status
This vulnerability is confirmed as actively exploited in the wild — it is listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.
Detection and monitoring
- Monitor IIS or web server access logs for POST requests to /CMSPages/Staging/SyncServer.asmx followed shortly by GET requests to paths outside the normal CMS content directories, particularly paths containing traversal sequences or newly created ASPX files.
- Audit the web application directory tree for ASPX files created or modified outside expected deployment paths, especially in directories not part of the standard Kentico Xperience installation, as a sign of a successful upload.
- Review Kentico CMS audit logs for Staging Service activity originating from unexpected source IP addresses or accounts, particularly file synchronization tasks that reference paths containing dot-dot sequences.
Remediation
Additional hardening
- Apply a hotfix later than version 13.0.178 for Kentico Xperience 13; the vendor releases cumulative hotfixes and the fix for this vulnerability is included in builds beyond that boundary. See the vendor hotfix page listed in References.
- If the Staging Service is not operationally required, disable it in the CMS settings to eliminate the attack surface entirely; the service is disabled by default and its absence removes the vulnerable endpoint.
- Where the Staging Service must remain active, switch authentication to X.509 certificate-based authentication, which the advisory confirms is not affected by this vulnerability, rather than username/password authentication.
- Restrict network access to /CMSPages/Staging/SyncServer.asmx at the web application firewall or reverse proxy layer so that only known, trusted staging peer addresses can reach the endpoint.
Key dates
References
- https://devnet.kentico.com/download/hotfixes
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-2749
- https://labs.watchtowr.com/bypassing-authentication-like-its-the-90s-pre-auth-rce-chain-s-in-kentico-xperience-cms/
- https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/kentico-xperience-staging-media-file-upload-authenticated-rce
- https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2025-2749
Frequently asked questions
Does CVE-2025-2749 affect my FedRAMP authorization?
If Kentico Xperience runs inside your authorization boundary, yes. CVE-2025-2749 is listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog, and its remediation deadline of May 4, 2026 has already passed. An unpatched KEV inside a FedRAMP authorization boundary is a finding. An overdue one is a finding your assessor and sponsoring agency can already see. At this point, you either remediate it now or formally document the mitigation and the delay.
How does Knox help me handle CVE-2025-2749?
Knox does not patch your software. Remediating Kentico Xperience is your responsibility under the FedRAMP shared-responsibility model. What Knox provides is the pre-authorized, single-tenant boundary to remediate within, plus continuous compliance monitoring and audit-artifact coverage to help you document the fix for your next assessment. The fix belongs to you; maintaining a clean compliance posture while you apply it is not something you have to manage alone.
How does Knox's monitoring help with vulnerabilities like this?
Knox's automated continuous monitoring platform watches your environment continuously for newly disclosed vulnerabilities and compliance issues, including cases like CVE-2025-2749. Exposure surfaces during ongoing monitoring rather than only when an assessor flags it at review time, giving you a shorter window between disclosure and awareness.
How do I get FedRAMP authorized with Knox?
Knox runs a FedRAMP-as-a-Service platform. It gives SaaS vendors a pre-authorized cloud boundary on AWS, Azure, and GCP. Your application inherits 60-80% of the required security controls. You reach FedRAMP authorization in about 90 days for roughly 90% less than the traditional $3.5M path. Book a meeting and Knox will map your path to authorization.
CVE-2025-2749's remediation deadline of May 4, 2026 has passed. What happens now?
If CVE-2025-2749 remains unremediated, it is already a Plan of Action and Milestones (POA&M) item. A growing POA&M list is what turns a routine continuous-monitoring review into a difficult conversation with your sponsoring agency. Closing the item out and documenting why the deadline was missed is what keeps your authorization clean and the agency relationship intact.
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