CODE RED • PUBLIC EXPLOIT • DATA DESTRUCTION

URGENT DATA RISK: SeriaWei ZKEACMS Flaw (CVE-2025-11272) Allows Remote Deletion of ALL Data with Public Exploit

By CyberDudeBivash • October 06, 2025 • Urgent Security Directive

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Disclosure: This is an urgent security advisory for all ZKEACMS users. It contains affiliate links to relevant security solutions. Your support helps fund our independent research.

Emergency Guide: Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Threat Analysis — The Unauthenticated Arbitrary File Deletion (CVE-2025-11272)

This is a catastrophic vulnerability. The SeriaWei ZKEACMS application contains a flaw that allows an attacker on the internet to delete any file on your server, without needing a password. The public release of a simple exploit script means that automated, mass attacks against all internet-exposed ZKEACMS instances are not just possible, but are likely already happening. This is a destructive attack, different from a data theft or ransomware attack, as the primary goal is sabotage and irreversible data loss.

Chapter 2: The Kill Chain — From a Single Request to Total Data Loss

The attack is trivial to execute, requiring only a single, specially crafted web request.

The Exploit:

Scanning:** An attacker uses automated scanners to find all internet-facing ZKEACMS login pages.
**The Flaw:** The attacker targets a file management API endpoint that has a critical flaw: it fails to check for authentication. It also has a **path traversal** vulnerability.
**The Exploit:** The attacker sends a simple HTTP request to this endpoint. The request includes a parameter specifying the file to delete, but uses “dot-dot-slash” (`../`) sequences to navigate out of the web directory and target critical system files. An example payload might be:
POST /api/FileManager/Delete HTTP/1.1 Host: [vulnerable-server.com] ... {"path":"../../path/to/database/file.mdf"}
**The Impact:** The server processes the request and deletes the specified file. The attacker can repeat this process to wipe out the entire web application, all uploaded content, the database, and even critical operating system files, rendering the server completely inoperable.

Chapter 3: The Defender’s Playbook — An Immediate Containment and Recovery Plan

With a public exploit for a destructive flaw, you are in a race against time. There is no room for hesitation.

Step 1: TAKE THE SERVER OFFLINE. NOW.

This is the only 100% effective immediate mitigation. Disconnect the server from the internet. Unplug the network cable. Use your cloud console or firewall to block all traffic to the server’s IP address. You must remove it from the line of fire before the automated scanners find you.

Step 2: Take a Snapshot and Hunt for Compromise

Before you do anything else, take a full snapshot or forensic image of the server’s disk. Then, analyze your web server logs for any suspicious POST requests to API endpoints, especially those containing `../` sequences. This will tell you if you were already compromised.

Step 3: Patch and Restore

Once the server is safely offline, you can begin remediation.

Apply the emergency security patch provided by the vendor.
**Do not bring the server back online yet.** You must assume the data on it has been compromised or destroyed. Restore your entire application and database from your last known-good, offsite backup.
Only after you have patched AND restored from a clean backup should you consider bringing the server back online.

Chapter 4: The Strategic Response — The Criticality of Immutable Backups

This incident is a brutal lesson in the importance of a robust backup and recovery strategy. A destructive attack like this bypasses almost all preventative security controls. Your only salvation is your ability to recover.

A resilient data protection strategy must be built on the **3-2-1 Rule**:

**3 Copies** of your data.
On **2 Different** types of media.
With **1 Copy** stored **offsite and air-gapped** (or immutable).

Your backups are your last line of defense against a destructive attack or a **ransomware** event. They must be protected as your most critical asset.

Build a Resilient Operation: A mature incident response and disaster recovery plan is a CISO-level responsibility. A professional certification like **CISSP** provides the deep, multi-domain knowledge required to build and lead these critical programs.

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About the Author

CyberDudeBivash is a cybersecurity strategist with 15+ years in incident response, digital forensics, and application security, advising CISOs across APAC. [Last Updated: October 06, 2025]

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