CVE-2025-11366 is a critical security vulnerability classified under CWE-22 (Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory, commonly known as path traversal) affecting N-able's N-central product versions prior to 2025.4. The vulnerability allows an attacker to bypass authentication mechanisms by exploiting insufficient validation of pathname inputs. This flaw enables unauthorized users to traverse directories and access files or resources outside the intended restricted directories, effectively circumventing security controls. The vulnerability is remotely exploitable without requiring user interaction or elevated privileges, making it highly accessible to attackers. The CVSS v4.0 base score of 9.4 reflects its critical nature, with attack vector being network-based, low attack complexity, no authentication required, and high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Although no known exploits have been reported in the wild yet, the potential for severe damage is significant, including unauthorized data access, manipulation, and disruption of managed IT environments. N-central is a widely used remote monitoring and management (RMM) platform, which means exploitation could lead to broad operational impacts across managed networks. The vulnerability was publicly disclosed on November 12, 2025, with no official patches linked yet, emphasizing the urgency for organizations to monitor vendor updates and apply fixes promptly.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-11366 is substantial due to the critical role N-able N-central plays in IT infrastructure management. Successful exploitation can lead to unauthorized access to sensitive configuration files, credentials, and operational data, compromising confidentiality. Attackers could manipulate system settings or deploy malicious payloads, affecting integrity and potentially causing service outages or disruptions, impacting availability. This is particularly concerning for sectors relying heavily on managed IT services, such as finance, healthcare, and critical infrastructure. The ability to bypass authentication remotely without user interaction increases the risk of widespread automated attacks. Additionally, the breach of managed service providers (MSPs) using N-central could cascade to their clients, amplifying the threat across multiple organizations. The lack of known exploits currently provides a window for proactive defense, but the critical severity necessitates immediate attention to avoid operational and reputational damage.

1. Immediately upgrade N-able N-central to version 2025.4 or later once available, as this version addresses the vulnerability. 2. Until patches are applied, restrict network access to N-central management interfaces using firewalls or VPNs to limit exposure to trusted IP addresses only. 3. Implement strict input validation and sanitization on all user-supplied paths and parameters within the application environment, if customization or internal controls are possible. 4. Monitor logs and network traffic for unusual access patterns or attempts to exploit path traversal, focusing on unauthorized directory access attempts. 5. Employ multi-factor authentication (MFA) on all administrative access points to add an additional layer of security, mitigating the impact of authentication bypass. 6. Conduct regular security audits and penetration testing on N-central deployments to identify and remediate any residual weaknesses. 7. Coordinate with N-able support and subscribe to their security advisories to receive timely updates and patches. 8. Educate IT and security teams about the nature of path traversal attacks and the importance of prompt patching and access control enforcement.