CVE-2025-57295 is a critical security vulnerability affecting H3C network devices running firmware version NX15V100R015. The root cause of the vulnerability is the presence of insecure default credentials: the root user account has no password set, and the H3C user account uses the default password "admin." These credentials are stored in the /etc/shadow file, which is typically used to store hashed passwords on Unix-like systems. Because the root account is effectively passwordless and the secondary user account uses a well-known default password, attackers with network access can easily authenticate to the device's administrative interfaces or other network services. This unauthorized access can lead to privilege escalation, allowing attackers to gain root-level control over the device. Once compromised, attackers could execute arbitrary code, manipulate device configurations, or exfiltrate sensitive information. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-1188 (Insecure Default Credentials) and CWE-521 (Weak Password Requirements), highlighting the fundamental security misconfiguration. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 8.0, indicating a high severity level, with an attack vector of network (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), requiring privileges (PR:L), and user interaction (UI:R). The impact covers confidentiality, integrity, and availability (C:H/I:H/A:H), meaning the vulnerability can cause severe damage if exploited. There are no known exploits in the wild yet, and no patches have been published at the time of this report, increasing the urgency for organizations to implement mitigations.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk, especially for those relying on H3C networking equipment in critical infrastructure, enterprise networks, or government environments. Unauthorized root access can lead to complete device compromise, enabling attackers to intercept or manipulate network traffic, disrupt services, or use the device as a foothold for lateral movement within the network. This can result in data breaches, operational downtime, and loss of trust. Given the high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts, organizations could face regulatory penalties under GDPR if personal data is compromised. The ease of exploitation due to default credentials and network accessibility increases the likelihood of attacks, particularly in environments where network segmentation or access controls are insufficient. The lack of patches means organizations must rely on immediate compensating controls to reduce exposure.

1. Immediate verification and change of all default credentials on H3C devices, especially setting a strong, unique password for the root and H3C user accounts. 2. Implement network access controls to restrict administrative interface access only to trusted management networks or IP addresses. 3. Employ network segmentation to isolate critical devices from general user networks and the internet. 4. Monitor network traffic and device logs for unusual authentication attempts or access patterns indicative of exploitation attempts. 5. Disable unnecessary network services and administrative interfaces to reduce the attack surface. 6. If possible, apply firmware updates or patches once released by H3C to address the vulnerability. 7. Use multi-factor authentication (MFA) for device management interfaces if supported. 8. Conduct regular security audits and vulnerability assessments on network devices to detect insecure configurations. 9. Establish incident response procedures specific to network device compromise to quickly contain and remediate any breaches.