CVE-2025-20319 is a vulnerability identified in Splunk Enterprise versions prior to 9.4.3, 9.3.5, 9.2.7, and 9.1.10. The issue arises from improper sanitization of user input in scripted input files, which are components that allow Splunk to execute custom scripts to collect data. Specifically, users with roles possessing the high-privilege capabilities 'edit_scripted' and 'list_inputs' can exploit this vulnerability. The vulnerability is a form of OS command injection where the software constructs OS commands using externally influenced input without properly neutralizing special characters or elements that could alter the intended command. This flaw enables an attacker with the required privileges to execute arbitrary commands on the underlying operating system remotely. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 6.8, indicating a medium severity level. The vector string (AV:A/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H) shows that the attack requires network access with high privileges but no user interaction, and it impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability significantly. The vulnerability does not appear to have known exploits in the wild yet. The root cause is insufficient input validation in scripted inputs, which are critical for extending Splunk’s data ingestion capabilities. This vulnerability could allow an attacker to gain unauthorized control over the Splunk server, potentially leading to data exfiltration, system compromise, or disruption of logging and monitoring functions.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability could be substantial, especially for enterprises relying heavily on Splunk Enterprise for security monitoring, compliance, and operational intelligence. Successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized remote code execution, allowing attackers to manipulate or disable logging, hide malicious activities, or pivot to other internal systems. This could compromise the confidentiality of sensitive data, including personal data protected under GDPR, and affect the integrity and availability of critical monitoring infrastructure. Disruption of Splunk services could impair incident detection and response capabilities, increasing the risk and duration of security incidents. Organizations in sectors such as finance, healthcare, telecommunications, and government, which often deploy Splunk for compliance and security analytics, may face regulatory and reputational damage if exploited. The requirement for high-privilege roles limits the attack surface but also highlights the importance of strict role management and monitoring of privileged accounts within Splunk deployments.

1. Upgrade Splunk Enterprise to versions 9.4.3, 9.3.5, 9.2.7, or 9.1.10 or later, where this vulnerability is patched. 2. Review and restrict the assignment of the 'edit_scripted' and 'list_inputs' capabilities to only trusted administrators. 3. Implement strict role-based access control (RBAC) policies to minimize the number of users with high-privilege roles. 4. Audit existing scripted inputs for any potentially unsafe scripts or inputs that could be exploited. 5. Monitor Splunk logs and system activity for unusual command executions or privilege escalations. 6. Employ network segmentation to limit access to Splunk management interfaces to trusted networks and users. 7. Use application whitelisting or endpoint protection to detect and prevent unauthorized command execution on Splunk servers. 8. Educate administrators on secure scripting practices and the risks of improper input sanitization. 9. Regularly review and update Splunk configurations and security policies to align with best practices.