CVE-2025-8998 is classified under CWE-73, which pertains to external control of file name or path. The vulnerability exists in Axis Communications AB's AXIS OS, a widely used operating system for network video products such as IP cameras and video encoders. The flaw allows an authenticated user with operator or administrator privileges to upload files with specific names to a temporary directory. This capability can lead to process crashes, which in turn may degrade device usability or cause temporary denial of service. The vulnerability affects multiple versions of AXIS OS, including 6.50.0 through 12.0.0, indicating a broad impact across many deployed devices. Exploitation requires authenticated access with elevated privileges, which limits the attack surface to insiders or attackers who have already compromised an operator or administrator account. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 3.1, reflecting a low severity primarily due to the requirement for authentication, high attack complexity, and limited impact confined to availability. No known public exploits have been reported, and no patches are currently linked, suggesting that mitigation may rely on access control and monitoring until vendor updates are released. The vulnerability does not impact confidentiality or integrity, as it does not allow unauthorized data access or modification, but the availability impact could disrupt surveillance operations temporarily.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2025-8998 is potential disruption of surveillance and security monitoring systems that rely on Axis network devices running AXIS OS. Process crashes caused by malicious file uploads could lead to temporary denial of service, reducing the effectiveness of physical security controls and possibly delaying incident response. While the vulnerability does not expose sensitive data or allow unauthorized control, the availability impact could be significant in high-security environments such as airports, government buildings, and critical infrastructure facilities. Organizations with large deployments of Axis devices may experience operational challenges if attackers exploit this flaw, especially if privileged credentials are compromised. The requirement for operator or administrator authentication reduces the likelihood of remote exploitation by external attackers but raises concerns about insider threats or credential theft. Overall, the impact is moderate in operational terms but low in terms of data confidentiality or integrity.

1. Restrict and tightly control access to operator and administrator accounts on AXIS OS devices, employing strong authentication mechanisms such as multi-factor authentication (MFA) where supported. 2. Monitor logs and file upload activities for unusual or unauthorized file names or patterns in temporary directories to detect potential exploitation attempts. 3. Implement network segmentation to isolate Axis devices from general user networks, limiting exposure to only trusted administrators. 4. Regularly audit and rotate privileged credentials to reduce the risk of credential compromise. 5. Engage with Axis Communications for timely patch releases and apply security updates promptly once available. 6. Consider deploying endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions capable of detecting anomalous process crashes or file upload behaviors on network devices. 7. Educate administrators and operators on the risks of this vulnerability and the importance of safeguarding their credentials. 8. Where possible, disable unnecessary file upload functionalities or restrict file upload capabilities to only essential operations.