CVE-2025-13706
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code as root on Tencent PatrickStar installations by exploiting a deserialization flaw in the merge_checkpoint endpoint. Attackers can trigger this by tricking users into visiting malicious pages or opening malicious files. All users running vulnerable versions of PatrickStar are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- Tencent PatrickStar
⚠️ Manual Verification Required
This CVE does not have specific version information in our database, so automatic vulnerability detection cannot determine if your system is affected.
Why? The CVE database entry doesn't specify which versions are vulnerable (no version ranges provided by the vendor/NVD).
🔒 Custom verification scripts are available for registered users. Sign up free to download automated test scripts.
- Review the CVE details at NVD
- Check vendor security advisories for your specific version
- Test if the vulnerability is exploitable in your environment
- Consider updating to the latest version as a precaution
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system compromise with root-level code execution, allowing attackers to install persistent backdoors, exfiltrate sensitive data, or pivot to other systems.
Likely Case
Remote code execution leading to data theft, cryptocurrency mining, or ransomware deployment on affected systems.
If Mitigated
Attack blocked at network perimeter or through input validation, preventing exploitation entirely.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires user interaction but no authentication. ZDI advisory suggests weaponization is likely given the high impact.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Commit 2384535503ea98cfe35ad04e20c0cfc7bf58d5d7
Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/Tencent/PatrickStar/commit/2384535503ea98cfe35ad04e20c0cfc7bf58d5d7
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update PatrickStar to commit 2384535503ea98cfe35ad04e20c0cfc7bf58d5d7 or later. 2. Restart the PatrickStar service. 3. Verify the fix by checking the version.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Network Access Control
linuxRestrict access to the merge_checkpoint endpoint using firewall rules or network segmentation.
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport [PORT] -j DROP
Input Validation Proxy
allDeploy a reverse proxy that validates and sanitizes all requests to the vulnerable endpoint.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict network segmentation to isolate PatrickStar instances from untrusted networks.
- Deploy runtime application self-protection (RASP) or WAF with deserialization attack detection.
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if PatrickStar version is prior to commit 2384535503ea98c0cfc7bf58d5d7 by examining the codebase or version metadata.Check Version:
git log --oneline | head -5Verify Fix Applied:
Confirm the presence of commit 2384535503ea98cfe35ad04e20c0cfc7bf58d5d7 in the codebase and test the merge_checkpoint endpoint with invalid input.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual deserialization errors in application logs
- Suspicious requests to /merge_checkpoint endpoint
- Unexpected process execution from PatrickStar context
Network Indicators:
- Malformed serialized objects sent to PatrickStar endpoints
- Outbound connections from PatrickStar to unknown IPs
SIEM Query:
source="patrickstar.log" AND ("deserialization" OR "merge_checkpoint")