VulnerabilityPublished 20 Aug 2025Updated 26 Feb 2026

CVE-2025-8309: ManageEngine Asset Explorer · Improper Privilege Management

Affects ManageEngine Asset ExplorerSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 8.1 High.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 14:05 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

8.1High

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 19% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N

Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: High
Integrity: High
Availability: None

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Network: The vulnerable component is bound to the network stack and the set of possible attackers extends beyond the other options listed, up to and including the entire Internet. Such a vulnerability is often termed 'remotely exploitable' and can be thought of as an attack being exploitable at the protocol level one or more network hops away (e.g., across one or more routers).
Attack Complexity: Low: Specialized access conditions or extenuating circumstances do not exist. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable component.
Privileges Required: Low: The attacker is authorized with (i.e., requires) privileges that provide basic user capabilities that could normally affect only settings and files owned by a user. Alternatively, an attacker with Low privileges may have the ability to cause an impact only to non-sensitive resources.
User Interaction: None: The vulnerable system can be exploited without any interaction from any user.
Scope: Unchanged: An exploited vulnerability can only affect resources managed by the same security authority. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are either the same, or both are managed by the same security authority.
Confidentiality: High: There is total loss of confidentiality, resulting in all resources within the impacted component being divulged to the attacker. Alternatively, access to only some restricted information is obtained, but the disclosed information presents a direct, serious impact.
Integrity: High: There is a total loss of integrity, or a complete loss of protection. For example, the attacker is able to modify any/all files protected by the impacted component. Alternatively, only some files can be modified, but malicious modification would present a direct, serious consequence to the impacted component.
Availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the impacted component.

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 20 Aug 2025
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC or the CVSS exploit maturity reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
ManageEngine Asset Explorer	Affected =0	Fixed in–

AI-suggested

Organizations should immediately inventory their ManageEngine deployments to identify affected versions of Asset Explorer, ServiceDesk Plus, ServiceDesk Plus MSP, and SupportCenter Plus. They must prioritize upgrading to the fixed versions once patches are released by Zoho Corporation. Until patches are available, implement strict network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of these management consoles to only trusted administrators and systems. Employ multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all user accounts with access to these products to reduce the risk of credential compromise. Monitor logs and audit trails for unusual privilege escalations or administrative actions within these applications. Consider deploying application-layer firewalls or intrusion detection systems to detect anomalous behavior targeting these products. Regularly review user privileges and remove unnecessary permissions to minimize the attack surface. Engage with Zoho support or ManageEngine security advisories for timely updates and guidance. Finally, incorporate this vulnerability into incident response plans to ensure rapid containment if exploitation is detected.

Description

There is an improper privilege management vulnerability identified in ManageEngine's Asset Explorer, ServiceDesk Plus, ServiceDesk Plus MSP, and SupportCenter Plus products by Zohocorp. This vulnerability impacts Asset Explorer versions before 7710, ServiceDesk Plus versions before 15110, ServiceDesk Plus MSP versions before 14940, and SupportCenter Plus versions before 14940.

Impact

The improper privilege management vulnerability can have severe consequences for organizations using the affected ManageEngine products. Exploitation allows attackers with limited privileges to escalate their access, potentially gaining administrative control over the affected systems. This can lead to unauthorized access to sensitive asset and service management data, manipulation of IT workflows, and disruption of IT service operations. Confidentiality is at high risk as sensitive organizational data could be exposed or exfiltrated. Integrity is also critically impacted since attackers can alter configurations, tickets, or asset information, undermining trust in IT management processes. Although availability is not directly affected, the operational impact of unauthorized changes can indirectly disrupt business continuity. Given that ManageEngine products are widely used in enterprise IT environments globally, successful exploitation could facilitate lateral movement within networks, data breaches, and compliance violations. The lack of known exploits in the wild currently reduces immediate risk but does not diminish the potential impact once exploitation tools become available.

CWE-269Improper Privilege Management (opens in a new tab)
Class weaknessLikelihood of exploit: MediumOWASP Top 10 A06:2025: Insecure Design (opens in a new tab)
The product does not properly assign, modify, track, or check privileges for an actor, creating an unintended sphere of control for that actor.
MITRE discourages mapping vulnerabilities to this broad entry; the root cause is usually a more specific weakness.
Architecture and Design · Operation
Very carefully manage the setting, management, and handling of privileges. Explicitly manage trust zones in the software.
Architecture and Design · Separation of Privilege
Follow the principle of least privilege when assigning access rights to entities in a software system.
Architecture and Design · Separation of Privilege
Consider following the principle of separation of privilege. Require multiple conditions to be met before permitting access to a system resource.
OWASP Cheat Sheets
Docker Security (opens in a new tab)
Third Party Javascript Management (opens in a new tab)
Virtual Patching (opens in a new tab)
Secure Design Principles (opens in a new tab)
OWASP ASVS 4.0.3
V1.4.4 (opens in a new tab)
V1.4.5 (opens in a new tab)
V1.10.1 (opens in a new tab)
Attack patterns
Restful Privilege Elevation (opens in a new tab)
Privilege Abuse (opens in a new tab)
Privilege Escalation (opens in a new tab)
From MITRE CWE, MITRE CAPEC and OWASP (Top 10, OpenCRE).

References

manageengine.com/products/service-desk/cve-2025-8309.html (opens in a new tab)

Community reviews

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 27 Feb 2026, 04:22 UTC

WeaknessesCWE-269

Technical details

References

Community reviews

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