Overview
On March 7, 2025, a critical vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-27816 was published, impacting Arctera InfoScale versions 7.0 through 8.0.2. The issue is related to CWE-502: Deserialization of Untrusted Data, a serious vulnerability category known to enable remote code execution and full system compromise if improperly handled.
Vulnerability Details
The vulnerability exists in the Plugin_Host service within InfoScale, a component that runs on all Windows servers where InfoScale is installed. This service is used when applications are configured for Disaster Recovery (DR) through the DR wizard. An attacker can exploit this service by sending untrusted serialized .NET messages to the remoting endpoint, which leads to insecure deserialization.
This vulnerability is especially dangerous due to its reach across all DR-enabled servers and the lack of required user interaction or privileges for exploitation.
Technical Analysis
According to the CVSS v3.1 scoring system, CVE-2025-27816 has a base score of 9.8 (Critical). The vector string is:
CVSS:3.1/AC:L/AV:N/A:H/C:H/I:H/PR:N/S:U/UI:N
Key attributes include:
- Attack Vector: Network
- Attack Complexity: Low
- Privileges Required: None
- User Interaction: None
- Scope: Unchanged
- Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability Impact: High
Because exploitation does not require any privileges or interaction, and the Plugin_Host service is active across all DR-configured installations, the potential for automated large-scale attacks is significant.
Understanding CWE-502
CWE-502 involves the deserialization of untrusted data, which can lead to code execution if the application automatically instantiates objects from serialized input. Without validation or sandboxing, this leads to arbitrary behavior controlled by an attacker.
Impact and Mitigation
Successful exploitation could allow attackers to:
- Remotely execute arbitrary code
- Compromise system integrity and confidentiality
- Cause service disruption or deploy persistent malware
Mitigation is straightforward but essential. Manually disabling the Plugin_Host service effectively removes the vulnerable surface. Organizations should also review DR configurations and deploy any available patches or vendor advisories.
Conclusion
CVE-2025-27816 is a high-risk vulnerability that underscores the critical danger of insecure deserialization, particularly in enterprise-grade disaster recovery environments. Its simplicity of exploitation and severity of impact make it an urgent issue for InfoScale users to address.
More information and mitigation guidance is available in the official advisory.
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