CVE-2025-69203 SignalK CVE debrief

Who should care

Administrators of Signal K Server instances, particularly those with access to the admin UI, should be aware of this vulnerability and take steps to mitigate it. They should prioritize upgrading to version 2.19.0 and review access requests and approval processes. Affected operators and platforms should also be aware of the vulnerability and take steps to protect themselves.

Why it matters

CVE-2025-69203 is a social engineering vulnerability in Signal K Server that allows attackers to request elevated permissions while appearing to request readonly access, and spoof their IP address to appear to originate from trusted internal network addresses. Administrators should prioritize upgrading to version 2.19.0 and review access requests and approval processes.

• Increased likelihood of administrator approval of malicious access requests
• Potential for elevated permissions to be granted to attackers
• Difficulty in detecting and responding to social engineering attacks
• Need for verification of access requests and approval processes

Technical summary

The Signal K Server access request system has two related features that, when combined with an information disclosure vulnerability, enable convincing social engineering attacks against administrators. An attacker can request elevated permissions while providing a description that suggests readonly access, and spoof their IP address to appear to originate from trusted internal network addresses. The vulnerability affects Signal K Server instances prior to version 2.19.0 and has a CVSS score of 6.3. The access request handler trusts the X-Forwarded-For HTTP header without validation, allowing attackers to spoof their IP address.

Defensive priority

Administrators of Signal K Server instances should prioritize upgrading to version 2.19.0 to address the social engineering vulnerability.

Recommended defensive actions

• Upgrade Signal K Server to version 2.19.0 or later
• Review access requests and approval processes
• Monitor for suspicious activity
• Verify access requests and approval processes
• Check relevant monitoring, detection, and logs for exposed assets that need extra review
• Track exceptions, retest remediated assets, and close the item only after evidence is documented
• Confirm whether affected product deployments exist in managed environments and assign an owner for follow-up

Evidence notes

The CVE record and NVD entry provide details on the vulnerability, including its description, CVSS score, and affected versions. The information disclosure vulnerability allows an attacker to enumerate device/source names, which can be used to impersonate a legitimate device or source. The access request handler trusts the X-Forwarded-For HTTP header without validation, allowing attackers to spoof their IP address. The vulnerability has a CVSS score of 6.3 and is classified as MEDIUM severity. The CVE record and NVD entry also provide

Sources and references

Methodology and review provenance

AI-assisted synthesis based on stored public vulnerability evidence. System validation, approval state, and publication status do not by themselves establish human review of this revision. PatchSiren helps prioritize defensive review and does not prove exposure or remediation on any system.