CVE-2025-20379
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability allows low-privileged Splunk users to bypass SPL safeguards for risky commands by exploiting character encoding in REST API paths. Attackers could execute saved searches with elevated privileges, but require phishing a victim to initiate the request via their browser. Affects Splunk Enterprise and Splunk Cloud Platform versions below specified patched releases.
💻 Affected Systems
- Splunk Enterprise
- Splunk Cloud Platform
📦 What is this software?
Splunk by Splunk
Splunk by Splunk
Splunk by Splunk
Splunk by Splunk
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Low-privileged user executes arbitrary risky SPL commands with elevated privileges, potentially leading to data exfiltration, system compromise, or denial of service.
Likely Case
Limited privilege escalation allowing execution of specific risky commands that would normally be blocked by SPL safeguards.
If Mitigated
No impact if proper access controls and user education prevent phishing attempts.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires authenticated user, saved search configuration, and successful phishing attack.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Splunk Enterprise: 10.0.1, 9.4.5, 9.3.7, 9.2.9; Splunk Cloud Platform: 9.3.2411.116, 9.3.2408.124, 10.0.2503.5, 10.1.2507.1
Vendor Advisory: https://advisory.splunk.com/advisories/SVD-2025-1102
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Download appropriate patched version from Splunk website. 2. Backup current installation. 3. Install update following Splunk upgrade documentation. 4. Restart Splunk services.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict saved search creation
allLimit ability to create saved searches to trusted users only
User education
allTrain users to avoid clicking suspicious links in Splunk interface
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict access controls limiting saved search creation to admin/power users only
- Monitor for unusual saved search activity and REST API calls to /services/streams/search endpoint
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check Splunk version via web interface or CLI. If version matches affected ranges, system is vulnerable.Check Version:
On Splunk server: $SPLUNK_HOME/bin/splunk versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify version is at or above patched versions listed in advisory.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual saved search executions, especially with risky commands
- Requests to /services/streams/search with encoded characters in path
Network Indicators:
- HTTP requests to Splunk REST API with unusual character encoding
SIEM Query:
index=_internal source=*web_access.log uri_path="/services/streams/search" | search q=* | stats count by clientip, user