CVE-2025-60021 is a remote command injection vulnerability classified under CWE-77, found in the Apache bRPC project, specifically in the heap profiler built-in service accessible via the /pprof/heap endpoint. The root cause is the lack of proper sanitization or validation of the user-supplied extra_options parameter, which is directly passed as a command-line argument to the underlying system. This flaw allows an unauthenticated remote attacker to inject arbitrary commands, leading to remote code execution on the affected server. The vulnerability affects all versions of Apache bRPC prior to 1.15.0 across all supported platforms. The heap profiler service is typically used for jemalloc memory profiling, and its exposure with this flaw creates a critical attack vector. The vulnerability has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8, indicating critical severity with network attack vector, no required privileges or user interaction, and full impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Although no known exploits are reported in the wild yet, the ease of exploitation and severity warrant immediate attention. Mitigation involves upgrading to version 1.15.0 or applying the official patch from the Apache bRPC GitHub repository. Organizations using Apache bRPC in production environments, especially those exposing the profiling service, should prioritize remediation to prevent potential compromise.

The impact of CVE-2025-60021 on European organizations can be severe. Successful exploitation allows attackers to execute arbitrary commands remotely without authentication, potentially leading to full system compromise. This can result in data breaches, service disruption, unauthorized access to sensitive information, and lateral movement within networks. Organizations relying on Apache bRPC for critical RPC communications or memory profiling in cloud services, microservices architectures, or backend systems face risks of operational downtime and reputational damage. Given the critical nature of the vulnerability, attackers could deploy ransomware, exfiltrate data, or establish persistent footholds. The broad platform support of Apache bRPC means diverse environments across Europe could be affected, including financial institutions, government agencies, and technology companies. The lack of known exploits in the wild does not diminish the urgency, as public disclosure and availability of patches increase the risk of imminent exploitation attempts.

1. Immediate upgrade of Apache bRPC to version 1.15.0, which contains the fix for this vulnerability, is the most effective mitigation. 2. If upgrading is not immediately feasible, apply the official patch available at https://github.com/apache/brpc/pull/3101 to sanitize the extra_options parameter and prevent command injection. 3. Restrict access to the /pprof/heap endpoint by implementing network-level controls such as firewall rules or VPN access to limit exposure to trusted users only. 4. Monitor logs and network traffic for unusual activity related to the heap profiler service or unexpected command executions. 5. Conduct a thorough audit of systems running Apache bRPC to identify vulnerable versions and assess exposure. 6. Employ runtime application self-protection (RASP) or endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to detect and block suspicious command execution attempts. 7. Educate development and operations teams about the risks of exposing profiling endpoints in production environments and enforce secure coding and deployment practices. 8. Implement strict input validation and sanitization for any user-supplied parameters in custom extensions or configurations of bRPC services.