CVE-2025-46548 is a medium-severity vulnerability classified under CWE-287 (Improper Authentication) affecting Apache Pekko Management version 1.0.0. The issue arises when Basic Authentication is enabled using the Java DSL in Pekko Management; the authenticator may not be properly applied, potentially allowing unauthorized access to the Management API. This improper authentication means that requests intended to be authenticated could bypass the authentication mechanism, exposing management endpoints to unauthenticated users. The vulnerability does not require user interaction or privileges to exploit and can be triggered remotely over the network (AV:N). The impact primarily affects confidentiality and integrity, as unauthorized users could gain access to management functions, potentially leading to information disclosure or unauthorized configuration changes. Availability is not impacted. The vulnerability has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.5, indicating medium severity. The issue was also present in Akka, a related project, which released a fix in version 1.6.1. The recommended remediation is to upgrade Apache Pekko Management to version 1.1.1, where the authentication issue is resolved. Organizations relying solely on authentication without restricting Management API ports to trusted users are particularly vulnerable. No known exploits are reported in the wild as of the publication date (June 3, 2025).

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk to systems using Apache Pekko Management 1.0.0, especially in environments where management APIs are exposed beyond trusted internal networks. Unauthorized access to management APIs could lead to disclosure of sensitive operational data or unauthorized changes to system configurations, potentially disrupting business operations or exposing internal infrastructure details. Given the medium severity and network exploitable nature, attackers could leverage this flaw to gain footholds in critical application management layers. Organizations in sectors with strict regulatory requirements for data protection, such as finance, healthcare, and critical infrastructure, may face compliance risks if unauthorized access leads to data breaches. The lack of required privileges or user interaction lowers the barrier for exploitation, increasing the urgency for timely patching. However, the absence of known exploits in the wild suggests that immediate widespread attacks are not yet observed, providing a window for mitigation. The impact is heightened if management API ports are exposed to untrusted networks without additional access controls.

European organizations should prioritize upgrading Apache Pekko Management to version 1.1.1 or later to address this authentication bypass vulnerability. Beyond patching, organizations must enforce strict network segmentation and firewall rules to restrict access to Management API ports exclusively to trusted internal hosts or VPNs. Implementing network-level access controls reduces the attack surface even if authentication mechanisms fail. Additionally, organizations should audit their current Pekko Management configurations to verify that Basic Authentication is correctly applied and test for unauthorized access attempts. Monitoring and logging access to management endpoints can help detect suspicious activities early. Where feasible, consider deploying Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) or API gateways with authentication enforcement as an additional security layer. Finally, review and update incident response plans to include scenarios involving management API compromise.