CVE-2025-46359 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability affecting Alfasado Inc.'s PowerCMS product, specifically versions 6.7 and earlier in the 6.x series. The vulnerability resides in the backup and restore functionality of PowerCMS. A path traversal flaw allows an authenticated product administrator to manipulate file paths during the restore process, bypassing directory restrictions. By crafting a malicious backup file, the attacker can cause the system to write files outside the intended directories, potentially overwriting critical system or application files. This can lead to arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the product administrator. The CVSS 3.1 score of 7.2 reflects the network attack vector, low attack complexity, requirement for high privileges (product administrator), no user interaction, and high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the vulnerability's nature and impact make it a significant risk. Exploitation requires administrative access to the PowerCMS system, which may limit exposure but still poses a serious threat in environments where such access is available or can be obtained through other means. The vulnerability could be leveraged to compromise the underlying server, escalate privileges, or disrupt content management operations.

For European organizations using PowerCMS 6.7 or earlier, this vulnerability poses a critical risk to the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of their content management systems. Successful exploitation could allow attackers to execute arbitrary code, potentially leading to full system compromise. This could result in data breaches involving sensitive customer or business information, defacement or manipulation of web content, disruption of online services, and loss of trust. Organizations in sectors such as government, finance, healthcare, and media, which often rely on CMS platforms for public-facing and internal content, may face significant operational and reputational damage. The requirement for administrative privileges reduces the likelihood of remote exploitation by unauthenticated attackers but does not eliminate risk, especially if credential theft or insider threats are present. Additionally, the ability to restore malicious backups could be used to bypass other security controls or introduce persistent backdoors.

European organizations should immediately audit their PowerCMS installations to identify affected versions (6.7 and earlier). Until a vendor patch is available, organizations should restrict administrative access to trusted personnel only and enforce strong authentication mechanisms, such as multi-factor authentication, to reduce the risk of credential compromise. Backup and restore operations should be closely monitored and logged to detect suspicious activities. Implement file integrity monitoring on critical directories to detect unauthorized changes. Network segmentation can limit access to the CMS administrative interfaces. Organizations should also consider deploying application-layer firewalls or web application firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to detect and block path traversal attempts during restore operations. Once Alfasado Inc. releases a security patch, organizations must prioritize timely deployment. Additionally, conducting regular security awareness training for administrators about the risks of handling backup files and the importance of verifying their integrity can help mitigate insider threats.