CVE-2025-46580 is a high-severity vulnerability classified under CWE-400 (Uncontrolled Resource Consumption) affecting ZTE's GoldenDB database product, specifically version 6.1.03. The vulnerability arises from a flaw in the handling of system tables within GoldenDB, which allows attackers with at least low-level privileges (PR:L) to access these tables and trigger resource exhaustion conditions. This uncontrolled consumption of resources can disrupt the normal operation of business SQL queries, leading to denial of service (DoS) conditions. The CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.7 reflects a network attack vector (AV:N) with low attack complexity (AC:L), no user interaction (UI:N), and a scope change (S:C), indicating that exploitation can affect components beyond the initially vulnerable one. The impact is primarily on availability (A:H), with no direct confidentiality or integrity loss reported. Although no known exploits are currently observed in the wild, the vulnerability's characteristics suggest that attackers could leverage it to degrade or halt database services, impacting dependent applications and business processes. The lack of available patches at the time of publication increases the urgency for mitigation and monitoring. Given that GoldenDB is a database product, the vulnerability could affect any organization relying on this system for critical data storage and processing, especially where system tables are accessible to users with limited privileges.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-46580 could be significant, particularly for enterprises and public sector entities utilizing ZTE GoldenDB 6.1.03 in their IT infrastructure. The vulnerability enables attackers to cause denial of service by exhausting system resources, potentially leading to downtime of critical business applications reliant on GoldenDB. This disruption could affect sectors such as telecommunications, finance, manufacturing, and government services where database availability is crucial. The scope change in the vulnerability means that the impact could extend beyond the database itself, affecting other components or services integrated with GoldenDB. Given the increasing reliance on digital services and data-driven operations in Europe, such availability disruptions could result in operational delays, financial losses, and reputational damage. Additionally, organizations with regulatory compliance obligations (e.g., GDPR) may face indirect consequences if service interruptions impede timely data processing or breach service-level agreements. The absence of known exploits currently reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the threat, especially as attackers may develop exploits over time.

1. Restrict Access: Limit access to GoldenDB system tables strictly to trusted and necessary users with appropriate privilege levels to reduce the attack surface. 2. Monitor Resource Usage: Implement continuous monitoring of database resource consumption metrics to detect unusual spikes indicative of exploitation attempts. 3. Network Segmentation: Isolate GoldenDB servers within secure network segments to prevent unauthorized network access and lateral movement. 4. Privilege Management: Enforce the principle of least privilege for all database users and applications interacting with GoldenDB, ensuring no unnecessary permissions to system tables. 5. Incident Response Preparation: Develop and test incident response plans specifically addressing database availability issues to enable rapid recovery from potential DoS attacks. 6. Vendor Engagement: Maintain close communication with ZTE for timely updates and patches; consider deploying compensating controls such as Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) or database activity monitoring tools until patches are available. 7. Application Hardening: Review and harden applications interfacing with GoldenDB to handle database unavailability gracefully, minimizing business disruption. 8. Logging and Auditing: Enable detailed logging of database access and query execution to facilitate forensic analysis if exploitation is suspected.