CVE-2025-32976: Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel
Source CVE Database V5
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 8.8 High · fixed in 14.1.101 : patch affected systems soon.
Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 14:05 UTC
- EPSS
- 0.8% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 57% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
- Patch
- Available – fixed in 14.1.101, 14.0.341, 13.2.183 +2
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 24 Jun 2025
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors
A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.
What to do
AI-suggested
To mitigate CVE-2025-32976, European organizations should immediately identify all instances of Quest KACE SMA in their environment and verify the version in use. Applying the vendor-released patches for versions 13.0.385, 13.1.81, 13.2.183, 14.0.341 (Patch 5), and 14.1.101 (Patch 4) or later is critical to close the 2FA bypass vulnerability. If you cannot patch yet, organizations should enforce strict network segmentation and access controls to limit access to the KACE SMA appliance only to trusted administrators and management networks. Implementing additional monitoring and alerting for unusual authentication or privilege escalation activities on the appliance can help detect exploitation attempts early. Reviewing and tightening user permissions to follow the principle of least privilege reduces the risk of an attacker leveraging compromised accounts. Where possible, integrating KACE SMA authentication with external identity providers that support stronger multi-factor authentication methods may provide an additional security layer. Finally, conducting regular security audits and penetration tests focusing on authentication mechanisms will help identify similar weaknesses proactively.
Description
Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) 13.0.x before 13.0.385, 13.1.x before 13.1.81, 13.2.x before 13.2.183, 14.0.x before 14.0.341 (Patch 5), and 14.1.x before 14.1.101 (Patch 4) contains a logic flaw in its two-factor authentication implementation that allows authenticated users to bypass TOTP-based 2FA requirements. The vulnerability exists in the 2FA validation process and can be exploited to gain elevated access.
References
- support.quest.com/kb/4379499/quest-response-to-kace-sma-vulnerabilities-cve-2025-32975-cve-2025-32976-cve-2025-32977-cve-2025-32978 (opens in a new tab)
- seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2025/Jun/23 (opens in a new tab)
- seralys.com/research/CVE-2025-32976.txt (opens in a new tab)
- seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2025/Jun/25 (opens in a new tab)