CVE-2025-6979 is a vulnerability classified under CWE-287 (Improper Authentication) affecting Arista Networks' Edge Threat Management and Next Generation Firewall products. The vulnerability specifically targets the Captive Portal feature, which is designed to authenticate users before granting network access. Due to improper authentication mechanisms, an attacker can bypass the Captive Portal, effectively circumventing the authentication process. This bypass allows unauthorized users to gain access to protected network resources without valid credentials. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 8.8, indicating a high-severity issue with network attack vector (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), but requiring user interaction (UI:R). The impact metrics reflect high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts (C:H/I:H/A:H), meaning an attacker could exfiltrate sensitive data, alter configurations or data, and disrupt firewall operations. The vulnerability affects version 0.0 of the product, which may indicate an early or initial release version, and no patches or fixes have been published yet. Although no exploits are currently known in the wild, the nature of the flaw and the critical role of the affected product in network security make this a significant threat. The vulnerability could be exploited remotely over the network, making it accessible to external attackers. The Captive Portal is often used in environments where user authentication is mandatory before granting network access, such as guest networks or segmented internal networks, so bypassing it could lead to unauthorized access and potential lateral movement within the network.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-6979 is substantial. Arista Networks' firewalls are commonly deployed in enterprise, government, and critical infrastructure sectors across Europe. An authentication bypass in the Captive Portal could allow attackers to gain unauthorized access to internal networks, bypassing perimeter defenses. This could lead to data breaches involving sensitive personal data protected under GDPR, intellectual property theft, or disruption of critical services. The high integrity impact means attackers could modify firewall rules or configurations, potentially creating persistent backdoors or disabling security controls. Availability impact could result in denial of service conditions, affecting business continuity. Organizations relying on captive portals for guest or partner access are particularly vulnerable. The lack of a patch increases exposure time, necessitating immediate compensating controls. The requirement for user interaction suggests phishing or social engineering could be used to trigger the exploit, increasing risk in environments with less security awareness. Overall, the vulnerability threatens confidentiality, integrity, and availability of network security infrastructure, with cascading effects on organizational security posture and regulatory compliance.

1. Monitor Arista Networks' official channels closely for patches or security advisories addressing CVE-2025-6979 and apply updates immediately upon release. 2. Restrict access to the Captive Portal interface by implementing network-level access controls such as IP whitelisting or VPN-only access to reduce exposure. 3. Employ network segmentation to isolate systems behind the firewall, limiting the potential impact of unauthorized access. 4. Enhance user awareness training to reduce the risk of social engineering or phishing attempts that could facilitate user interaction required for exploitation. 5. Deploy additional authentication mechanisms or multi-factor authentication (MFA) where possible to strengthen access controls beyond the captive portal. 6. Implement continuous monitoring and logging of captive portal access attempts and firewall configuration changes to detect suspicious activity promptly. 7. Consider temporary disabling or limiting captive portal functionality if feasible until a patch is available. 8. Conduct penetration testing and vulnerability assessments focused on captive portal and firewall authentication mechanisms to identify other potential weaknesses. 9. Coordinate with incident response teams to prepare for potential exploitation scenarios and establish rapid containment procedures.