
CVE-2025-53690: Critical Sitecore Vulnerability Under Active Exploitation
What’s Happening?
- Affected Systems: Sitecore Experience Manager (XM), Experience Platform (XP), Experience Commerce (XC), and Managed Cloud versions up to 9.0 that were deployed using sample ASP.NET machine keys (pre-2017 deployment guide defaults) TechRadarSitecore SupportThe Hacker News.
- Vulnerability Type: ViewState deserialization via exposed machine keys — a path to remote code execution (RCE) The Hacker NewsGoogle CloudCCB SafeonwebHelp Net Security.
- Severity: CVSS score of 9.0/10, designated critical TechRadarCCB SafeonwebNVD.
- Exploitation Status: Actively exploited in the wild. Mandiant intervened to disrupt attacks using malware like WEEPSTEEL, along with reconnaissance tools such as Earthworm, DWAgent, SharpHound, and others TechRadarThe Hacker NewsSC Media.
- Regulatory Notice: The U.S. CISA has ordered all federal civilian agencies to patch affected systems by September 25, 2025 The Hacker NewsThe Record from Recorded Future.
What You Need to Do — Mitigation Steps
- Rotate Machine Keys Immediately
Replace any static or sample machine keys inweb.configfiles with unique, secure keys. Sitecore SupportSC Media - Deploy Patches ASAP
Apply official Sitecore security updates. If patches aren’t available yet, consider taking systems offline until safe. Sitecore SupportCCB Safeonweb - Enable ViewState Protection
Ensure ASP.NET’s ViewState MAC validation is active to prevent deserialization manipulation. - Strengthen Access Controls
Restrict access toweb.config, limit administrative privileges, and implement least-privilege policies. - Monitor for Indicators of Compromise (IOCs)
Watch for signs like ViewState-based payloads, unexpected admin account creation, credential dumps (SAM/SYSTEM), or network tunneling tools. The Record from Recorded FutureSC Media - Follow CISA Guidance Under BOD 22-01
Ensure compliance with required patching protocols or decommission vulnerable deployments. NVD
CyberDudeBivash Ecosystem at Your Service
- Apps & Tools: cyberdudebivash.com/apps — for rapid patch triage and monitoring
- Live Threat Intel: cyberbivash.blogspot.com — real-time critical CVE alerts and attack summaries
- Plugin & Configuration Security Insights: cryptobivash.code.blog — deep dives into CMS misconfigurations
- Incident Playbooks & Consulting: Custom guidance for handling zero-day, deserialization attacks, and ViewState-based threats
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