CVE-2025-1691
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes a control character injection vulnerability in MongoDB Shell (mongosh) where an attacker controlling a MongoDB cluster can craft malicious autocomplete suggestions. When users press 'tab' to autocomplete commands, they may inadvertently execute obfuscated malicious code. This affects mongosh users connecting to untrusted or compromised MongoDB clusters.
💻 Affected Systems
- MongoDB Shell (mongosh)
📦 What is this software?
Mongosh by Mongodb
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Full compromise of the client system running mongosh, allowing arbitrary code execution, data exfiltration, or lateral movement within the network.
Likely Case
Limited command execution within mongosh session, potentially exposing sensitive data or allowing database manipulation.
If Mitigated
No impact if users only connect to trusted clusters and follow security best practices.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires attacker to control MongoDB cluster and social engineering to get user to connect and use autocomplete.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 2.3.9 and later
Vendor Advisory: https://jira.mongodb.org/browse/MONGOSH-2024
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Update mongosh using your package manager (npm, brew, apt, etc.) 2. Run: npm update -g mongosh (for npm installs) 3. Verify version with: mongosh --version
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable autocomplete
allTemporarily disable the autocomplete feature in mongosh to prevent exploitation
mongosh --no-autocomplete
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Only connect mongosh to trusted, verified MongoDB clusters
- Train users to avoid using autocomplete when connecting to unfamiliar clusters
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check mongosh version: mongosh --versionCheck Version:
mongosh --versionVerify Fix Applied:
Confirm version is 2.3.9 or higher: mongosh --version📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual command sequences in mongosh logs
- Unexpected database operations from mongosh sessions
Network Indicators:
- mongosh connections to untrusted or suspicious MongoDB endpoints
SIEM Query:
process.name="mongosh" AND network.destination.ip NOT IN [trusted_cluster_ips]