CVE-2025-55194 is a medium severity vulnerability affecting Part-DB, an open source inventory management system for electronic components. The vulnerability exists in versions prior to 1.17.3 of the Part-DB-server component. Authenticated users can exploit this flaw by uploading a profile picture file with a misleading extension, such as a double extension like .jpg.txt. When the system attempts to render or edit the affected user profile, it triggers an uncaught exception resulting in a persistent 500 Internal Server Error. This error effectively makes the user profile inaccessible through the user interface for both the affected user and administrators. The root cause is an unhandled exception (CWE-248) related to improper input validation or file handling in the profile picture upload functionality. The impact is a denial of service (DoS) condition localized to the user management interface, preventing profile access and potentially disrupting user administration workflows. The vulnerability requires authentication and user interaction (uploading the crafted file). It does not impact confidentiality or integrity but affects availability of user profile management. The issue has been addressed and patched in Part-DB-server version 1.17.3. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 5.7, reflecting medium severity, with attack vector as network, low attack complexity, requiring privileges and user interaction, and causing availability impact only.

For European organizations using Part-DB for electronic component inventory management, this vulnerability could disrupt user management operations by making user profiles inaccessible. This may hinder administrative tasks such as updating user information or managing access rights, potentially delaying maintenance or operational workflows. While it does not expose sensitive data or allow privilege escalation, the denial of service on user profiles could impact productivity and user experience. Organizations with many users or complex user management needs may find this more disruptive. Since the vulnerability requires authenticated access, insider threats or compromised user accounts could be leveraged to exploit this flaw. In regulated industries or sectors with strict operational continuity requirements, even localized denial of service conditions can have compliance or operational impact. However, the overall impact is limited to availability of profile management and does not extend to core system functionality or data confidentiality.

European organizations should immediately upgrade Part-DB-server installations to version 1.17.3 or later to apply the official patch that fixes this vulnerability. Until patching is possible, organizations can implement strict input validation and sanitization on file uploads at the web application firewall (WAF) or reverse proxy level to block files with misleading or double extensions such as .jpg.txt. Additionally, monitoring and alerting on 500 Internal Server Errors related to user profile access can help detect exploitation attempts. Restricting profile picture upload permissions to trusted users or disabling the feature temporarily can reduce risk. Conducting user training to avoid uploading suspicious files and enforcing strong authentication controls to prevent account compromise will also mitigate exploitation likelihood. Regularly reviewing user management logs for anomalies and maintaining an incident response plan for denial of service conditions in user interfaces are recommended best practices.