CVE-2025-25012 is an open redirect vulnerability (CWE-601) identified in Elastic Kibana versions 7.0.0, 8.0.0, 8.18.0, and 9.0.0. This vulnerability allows an attacker to craft a specially formed URL that causes Kibana to redirect users to arbitrary, untrusted external websites. The flaw can also be leveraged to perform server-side request forgery (SSRF), where the Kibana server is tricked into making unauthorized requests to internal or external systems. The vulnerability arises because Kibana does not properly validate or restrict the destination URLs used in redirection mechanisms, enabling attackers to manipulate the redirect target. Exploitation requires the attacker to have at least some level of privileges (PR:L - privileges required) but does not require user interaction (UI:N). The CVSS v3.1 base score is 4.3, indicating a medium severity level. The impact primarily affects the integrity of the system by enabling redirection to malicious sites and potentially facilitating SSRF attacks, which could be used to probe internal networks or exfiltrate data. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no official patches have been linked yet. Given Kibana’s role as a visualization and management interface for Elasticsearch data, exploitation could undermine trust in the platform and expose users to phishing or further attacks via SSRF vectors.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a moderate risk primarily to the integrity of their Kibana deployments. Since Kibana is widely used for monitoring, logging, and data visualization across industries including finance, telecommunications, and government, an open redirect could be exploited to redirect users to phishing or malware-hosting sites, increasing the risk of credential theft or malware infection. The SSRF aspect could allow attackers to access internal services behind firewalls, potentially exposing sensitive data or enabling lateral movement within networks. Although the vulnerability does not directly impact confidentiality or availability, the indirect effects of SSRF and user redirection could lead to data breaches or compromise of internal infrastructure. Organizations relying heavily on Kibana for operational intelligence or compliance reporting may face disruptions or reputational damage if exploited. The medium severity rating suggests that while immediate catastrophic impact is unlikely, targeted attacks against critical infrastructure or sensitive environments could have serious consequences.

1. Restrict access to Kibana interfaces to trusted networks and authenticated users only, minimizing exposure to untrusted actors. 2. Implement strict URL validation and filtering at reverse proxies or web application firewalls (WAFs) to detect and block suspicious redirect parameters. 3. Monitor Kibana logs for unusual redirect patterns or unexpected outbound requests indicative of SSRF attempts. 4. Apply the principle of least privilege for Kibana user roles to limit who can generate or manipulate URLs that trigger redirects. 5. Isolate Kibana servers from sensitive internal services to reduce SSRF impact, using network segmentation and firewall rules. 6. Stay alert for official patches or updates from Elastic and apply them promptly once available. 7. Educate users about the risks of clicking on unexpected Kibana URLs, especially those received via email or external sources. 8. Consider deploying runtime application self-protection (RASP) or endpoint detection tools that can detect anomalous redirect or SSRF behaviors in real time.