CVE-2025-46548
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability allows attackers to bypass Basic Authentication in Pekko Management when configured via Java DSL, potentially exposing management APIs. It affects users who rely on authentication instead of network-level access controls. Both Pekko Management and Akka management are impacted.
💻 Affected Systems
- Pekko Management
- Akka Management
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Unauthenticated attackers gain full administrative access to management APIs, potentially leading to service disruption, configuration changes, or data exposure.
Likely Case
Attackers bypass authentication to access management endpoints, potentially viewing system information or performing limited administrative actions.
If Mitigated
If management API ports are properly firewalled to trusted networks only, the impact is minimal even with authentication bypass.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires network access to management API endpoints. No authentication required once vulnerability is triggered.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Pekko Management 1.1.1, Akka Management 1.6.1
Vendor Advisory: https://lists.apache.org/thread/tnd84hj9w0ggjcft6cp12q67d5jzhp66
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Update Pekko Management to version 1.1.1 or Akka Management to version 1.6.1. 2. Update dependencies in your build configuration. 3. Rebuild and redeploy your application. 4. Restart affected services.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict network access to management APIs
linuxConfigure firewall rules to allow only trusted IP addresses/networks to access management API ports
# Example iptables rule: iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport <management-port> -s <trusted-ip> -j ACCEPT
# Then: iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport <management-port> -j DROP
Disable Basic Authentication via Java DSL
allRemove or disable Basic Authentication configuration in Java DSL until patch can be applied
# Remove or comment out Basic Authentication configuration in your Java code
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict network segmentation to isolate management APIs from untrusted networks
- Monitor management API access logs for unauthorized authentication attempts
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if using Pekko Management <1.1.1 or Akka Management <1.6.1 with Basic Authentication enabled via Java DSLCheck Version:
Check build.gradle, pom.xml, or sbt files for pekko-management or akka-management dependency versionsVerify Fix Applied:
Verify version is >=1.1.1 for Pekko or >=1.6.1 for Akka, then test Basic Authentication functionality📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unauthenticated access to management endpoints
- Failed authentication attempts followed by successful access
Network Indicators:
- Unusual traffic patterns to management API ports
- Authentication bypass attempts
SIEM Query:
source="*management*.log" AND ("authentication failed" OR "unauthorized") AND ("GET" OR "POST") AND ("200" OR "success")