CVE-2025-34118 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability affecting Linknat Technology's VOS Manager software, specifically versions prior to 2.1.9.07, including VOS2009 and early VOS3000 builds. The vulnerability allows unauthenticated remote attackers to read arbitrary files on the server by exploiting improper input validation in localized subpaths such as '/eng/', '/chs/', or '/cht/'. Attackers inject encoded traversal sequences like '%c0%ae%c0%ae' (an encoded form of '..') into the request path, bypassing input validation mechanisms and enabling access to sensitive files outside the intended directory scope. This vulnerability is categorized under CWE-22 (Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory) and CWE-20 (Improper Input Validation). The CVSS 4.0 base score is 8.7, reflecting a high severity due to the vulnerability's remote, unauthenticated exploitability, and the potential for full confidentiality compromise without requiring user interaction or privileges. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the vulnerability's nature and ease of exploitation make it a significant risk. The lack of available patches at the time of reporting further increases exposure for affected users. The vulnerability impacts the confidentiality of the system by allowing attackers to read arbitrary files, which could include configuration files, credentials, or other sensitive data, potentially leading to further compromise.

For European organizations using Linknat Technology's VOS Manager, this vulnerability poses a serious risk to data confidentiality and operational security. Unauthorized disclosure of sensitive files could lead to exposure of credentials, internal configurations, or personal data protected under GDPR, resulting in regulatory penalties and reputational damage. Since the vulnerability requires no authentication or user interaction, attackers can remotely exploit it at scale, increasing the risk of widespread data breaches. Critical infrastructure or telecommunications providers using VOS Manager may face operational disruptions or targeted espionage attempts. The ability to read arbitrary files could also facilitate subsequent attacks, such as privilege escalation or lateral movement within networks. Given the high CVSS score and the nature of the vulnerability, European organizations must treat this as a priority security issue.

1. Immediate deployment of the vendor's patch or update to version 2.1.9.07 or later once available is the most effective mitigation. 2. Until patches are applied, implement strict network-level access controls to restrict external access to VOS Manager interfaces, especially blocking access to localized subpaths ('/eng/', '/chs/', '/cht/') from untrusted networks. 3. Employ web application firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to detect and block encoded path traversal sequences such as '%c0%ae%c0%ae' and other Unicode-encoded traversal attempts. 4. Conduct thorough logging and monitoring of web server requests to identify suspicious path traversal patterns and respond promptly. 5. Review and harden server file permissions to minimize the impact of unauthorized file reads, ensuring sensitive files are not accessible by the web server process if possible. 6. Perform regular security assessments and penetration testing focusing on input validation and path traversal vulnerabilities. 7. Educate system administrators about the risks and signs of exploitation to improve incident response readiness.