CVE-2025-54166
📋 TL;DR
An out-of-bounds read vulnerability in QNAP operating systems allows remote attackers with administrator credentials to read sensitive memory data. This affects QTS and QuTS hero systems running vulnerable versions. The vulnerability could expose secret data like passwords, keys, or other sensitive information.
💻 Affected Systems
- QNAP QTS
- QNAP QuTS hero
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Administrator-level attacker reads sensitive memory contents including passwords, encryption keys, or other confidential data, potentially leading to full system compromise.
Likely Case
Attacker with compromised admin credentials reads limited sensitive data from memory, potentially enabling further attacks or data exfiltration.
If Mitigated
With proper access controls and network segmentation, impact is limited to authorized administrators only.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires administrator credentials to exploit; out-of-bounds read vulnerabilities typically require specific conditions to trigger
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: QTS 5.2.7.3256 build 20250913 or later, QuTS hero h5.2.7.3256 build 20250913 or later, QuTS hero h5.3.1.3250 build 20250912 or later
Vendor Advisory: https://www.qnap.com/en/security-advisory/qsa-25-50
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Log into QNAP web interface as administrator. 2. Go to Control Panel > System > Firmware Update. 3. Check for updates and install the latest version. 4. Reboot the NAS when prompted.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Restrict Administrator Access
allLimit administrator account access to trusted users only and implement strong authentication
Network Segmentation
allPlace QNAP devices on isolated network segments with restricted access
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict access controls for administrator accounts
- Monitor for suspicious administrator account activity and network traffic
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check QNAP firmware version in Control Panel > System > Firmware UpdateCheck Version:
ssh admin@qnap-ip 'cat /etc/config/uLinux.conf | grep version'Verify Fix Applied:
Verify firmware version matches or exceeds patched versions listed in advisory📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual administrator login patterns
- Multiple failed authentication attempts followed by successful admin login
- System log entries indicating memory access errors
Network Indicators:
- Unusual outbound traffic from QNAP device
- Traffic patterns suggesting data exfiltration
SIEM Query:
source="qnap" AND (event_type="authentication" AND user="admin") OR (event_type="system" AND message="*memory*" OR message="*access violation*")