CVE-2025-2298 is an improper authorization vulnerability classified under CWE-862 affecting Dremio Software versions prior to 24.3.17, 25.0.15, 25.1.8, 25.2.5, and all versions below 24.0.0. The vulnerability arises from insufficient access control on a specific API endpoint that allows any authenticated user to delete arbitrary files accessible by the system. This includes critical system files and files stored remotely on cloud storage platforms such as Amazon S3 and Azure Blob Storage, as well as local filesystem files. The core issue is that the API does not properly verify whether the authenticated user has the authorization to delete the specified files, enabling unauthorized file deletion beyond the user's intended scope. Exploitation requires authentication but no elevated privileges beyond that, and no additional user interaction is necessary once authenticated. Potential consequences include significant data loss, disruption of service due to deletion of essential files (leading to denial of service conditions), and potentially further impact escalation depending on the nature of the deleted files, such as deletion of configuration or operational files that could impair system integrity or availability. The vulnerability affects multiple recent versions of Dremio Software, a data lakehouse platform widely used for data analytics and processing, until patched in the specified fixed versions starting with 24.3.17 and above. There are no known exploits in the wild at the time of publication, but the vulnerability's nature makes it a critical concern for organizations relying on Dremio for data operations.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-2298 can be substantial, especially for enterprises and public sector entities that rely on Dremio Software for managing and analyzing large datasets. Unauthorized deletion of files can lead to irreversible data loss, affecting business intelligence, reporting, and operational continuity. The ability to delete files stored on cloud services such as S3 and Azure Blob Storage further expands the attack surface, potentially impacting hybrid cloud deployments common in European enterprises. Denial of service conditions caused by deletion of system or application files could disrupt critical data workflows and analytics pipelines, leading to operational downtime and financial losses. Additionally, the vulnerability could be leveraged as a stepping stone for further attacks if deletion of configuration or security-related files occurs, potentially undermining system integrity and trustworthiness. Given the GDPR and other data protection regulations in Europe, data loss incidents could also result in regulatory penalties and reputational damage. The requirement for authentication means that insider threats or compromised user credentials pose a significant risk vector. Organizations with multi-tenant environments or shared access models are particularly vulnerable to lateral attacks exploiting this flaw.

To mitigate CVE-2025-2298, European organizations should prioritize upgrading affected Dremio Software instances to the fixed versions: 24.3.17 or later, 25.0.15 or later, 25.1.8 or later, 25.2.5 or later, or 26.0.0 and above. Until upgrades are applied, organizations should implement strict access controls and monitoring on user accounts with authenticated access to Dremio, limiting permissions to the minimum necessary. Employing role-based access control (RBAC) policies that restrict file deletion capabilities to trusted administrators can reduce risk. Audit logs should be enabled and regularly reviewed to detect unauthorized deletion attempts. Network segmentation and isolation of Dremio instances can limit the blast radius of potential exploitation. For cloud storage integrations, applying additional access policies at the cloud provider level (e.g., S3 bucket policies, Azure Blob Storage access controls) can prevent unauthorized deletions even if the Dremio API is exploited. Organizations should also enforce strong authentication mechanisms, including multi-factor authentication (MFA), to reduce the risk of credential compromise. Finally, regular backups of critical data and configuration files should be maintained and tested to ensure rapid recovery in case of data loss or service disruption.