CVE-2025-57815 is a vulnerability identified in the ethyca Fides open-source privacy engineering platform, specifically affecting versions prior to 2.69.1. The issue stems from improper restriction of excessive authentication attempts (CWE-307) on the Fides Admin UI login endpoint. The platform relies on a general IP-based rate limiting mechanism that applies uniformly to all API traffic but lacks dedicated anti-automation controls tailored to prevent brute-force attacks such as credential stuffing or password spraying. This deficiency allows attackers to systematically test large volumes of credentials against the login interface without being effectively throttled or blocked. The vulnerability primarily threatens accounts protected by weak or previously compromised passwords, potentially enabling unauthorized access if attackers succeed in guessing valid credentials. The vendor addressed this issue in version 2.69.1 by presumably enhancing rate limiting or introducing more granular anti-automation protections. For organizations using the commercial Fides Enterprise edition, enabling Single Sign-On (SSO) via OpenID Connect (OIDC) providers like Azure, Google, or Okta can serve as a robust mitigation by disabling username/password authentication entirely, thus eliminating this attack vector. However, this SSO option is not available for users of the Fides Open Source edition, leaving them more exposed unless they upgrade to the patched version. The vulnerability has a CVSS 4.0 base score of 1.7, indicating low severity due to factors such as no required privileges, no user interaction, and limited impact on confidentiality and availability. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, but the risk remains for credential-based attacks against weak passwords.

For European organizations utilizing the Fides platform, particularly those running unpatched versions prior to 2.69.1, this vulnerability poses a risk of unauthorized account access through automated credential testing attacks. Such unauthorized access could lead to exposure or manipulation of sensitive privacy engineering configurations and data, undermining compliance with stringent European data protection regulations like the GDPR. The impact is heightened for organizations that rely on weak or reused passwords, as attackers could leverage leaked credential databases to perform credential stuffing. While the vulnerability itself does not directly compromise system integrity or availability, unauthorized access could facilitate further malicious activities or data leakage. Enterprises using the commercial Fides Enterprise edition can mitigate risk by adopting OIDC-based SSO, which is a common practice in European organizations due to widespread adoption of identity providers like Azure AD and Google Workspace. However, open-source users without access to SSO remain more vulnerable unless they promptly update. Given the critical importance of privacy compliance in Europe, even low-severity vulnerabilities that enable unauthorized access warrant timely remediation to avoid regulatory penalties and reputational damage.

1. Upgrade all Fides deployments to version 2.69.1 or later to ensure the vulnerability is patched. 2. For commercial Fides Enterprise users, configure Single Sign-On (SSO) using an OIDC provider such as Azure AD, Google, or Okta, and disable username/password authentication to eliminate the attack vector. 3. Implement strong password policies enforcing complexity and regular rotation to reduce the risk posed by credential stuffing and password spraying. 4. Monitor authentication logs for unusual login attempts or patterns indicative of brute-force attacks and implement alerting mechanisms. 5. For open-source users unable to upgrade immediately, consider deploying additional external rate limiting or web application firewall (WAF) rules to restrict login attempts per IP or user account. 6. Educate users on the risks of password reuse and encourage use of password managers and multi-factor authentication where possible, even if not natively supported by Fides. 7. Regularly audit and review account access and authentication configurations to ensure compliance with security best practices.