CVE-2025-7044
📋 TL;DR
An authenticated attacker can exploit improper input validation in MAAS's websocket handler to self-promote to administrator by injecting the is_superuser property. This grants full administrative control over the MAAS deployment. All MAAS deployments with authenticated users are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- MAAS (Metal as a Service)
📦 What is this software?
Maas by Canonical
Maas by Canonical
Maas by Canonical
Maas by Canonical
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Attacker gains full administrative control over MAAS, allowing them to deploy malicious machines, modify network configurations, access sensitive data, and potentially pivot to other infrastructure.
Likely Case
Authenticated user escalates privileges to administrator, gaining control over MAAS-managed infrastructure and potentially compromising other systems.
If Mitigated
With proper network segmentation and monitoring, impact is limited to MAAS management plane, though administrative access remains significant.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires intercepting/modifying websocket traffic but is straightforward once authenticated.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Check MAAS release notes for specific version
Vendor Advisory: https://bugs.launchpad.net/maas/+bug/2115714
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Check current MAAS version
2. Update MAAS to patched version via apt/dpkg
3. Restart MAAS services
4. Verify fix applied
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Websocket Traffic Monitoring
linuxMonitor and block suspicious websocket requests containing is_superuser modifications
Network Segmentation
allRestrict MAAS websocket access to trusted networks only
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict network access controls to MAAS websocket interface
- Monitor for privilege escalation attempts and review user activity logs regularly
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check MAAS version against patched releases in vendor advisoryCheck Version:
dpkg -l | grep maasVerify Fix Applied:
Test that authenticated users cannot modify is_superuser property via websocket📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Websocket requests with is_superuser=true from non-admin users
- Unexpected user privilege changes in MAAS logs
Network Indicators:
- Websocket traffic containing is_superuser property modifications
- Unusual websocket request patterns
SIEM Query:
source="maas.log" AND "is_superuser" AND "true" AND user!="admin"