CVE-2025-32980 is a critical vulnerability identified in NETSCOUT nGeniusONE versions prior to 6.4.0 P11 b3245. The vulnerability stems from a weak sudo configuration, classified under CWE-266 (Incorrect Privilege Assignment). This weakness allows an attacker to execute commands with elevated privileges without proper authorization controls. The CVSS v3.1 score of 9.8 indicates a critical severity level, with an attack vector that is network-based (AV:N), requiring no privileges (PR:N) and no user interaction (UI:N). The vulnerability impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability (C:H/I:H/A:H), meaning an attacker can fully compromise the affected system remotely. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the potential for exploitation is high due to the ease of attack and the critical nature of the flaw. The sudo misconfiguration likely allows privilege escalation, enabling attackers to gain root-level access, which can lead to full system compromise, data exfiltration, or disruption of network monitoring services provided by nGeniusONE. The vulnerability was reserved on 2025-04-15 and published on 2025-04-25, but the CVE record is marked as REJECTED, which may indicate issues with the CVE assignment or vendor response, but the technical risk remains significant given the CVSS rating and vulnerability description.

For European organizations using NETSCOUT nGeniusONE for network performance monitoring and security analytics, this vulnerability poses a severe risk. Successful exploitation could allow attackers to gain root access to critical monitoring infrastructure, potentially leading to manipulation or disabling of network monitoring, loss of visibility into network traffic, and disruption of incident detection capabilities. This could facilitate further lateral movement within the network and data breaches. Given the critical role of nGeniusONE in network operations, the impact extends to operational continuity and compliance with data protection regulations such as GDPR. The loss of integrity and availability of monitoring data could delay detection of other attacks, increasing overall risk exposure. Organizations in sectors with high reliance on network monitoring, such as finance, telecommunications, and critical infrastructure, are particularly vulnerable.

Organizations should prioritize upgrading NETSCOUT nGeniusONE to version 6.4.0 P11 b3245 or later, where the sudo configuration weakness is addressed. In the absence of an immediate patch, administrators should audit and harden sudo configurations to ensure that only authorized users have elevated privileges and that no commands can be executed without proper authentication. Implement strict access controls and monitoring on systems running nGeniusONE, including logging and alerting on suspicious privilege escalation attempts. Network segmentation should be employed to limit exposure of the monitoring infrastructure. Additionally, organizations should conduct regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing focused on privilege escalation vectors. Employing application whitelisting and endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions can help detect and prevent exploitation attempts. Finally, maintain up-to-date backups and incident response plans to quickly recover from potential compromises.