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CVE-2025-40538

SolarWinds Serv-u remote code execution

9.1 CRITICALEPSS 0.51%
  1. Published24 Feb 2026

Description

A broken access control vulnerability exists in Serv-U which when exploited, gives a malicious actor the ability to create a system admin user and execute arbitrary code as a privileged account via domain admin or group admin privileges. This issue requires administrative privileges to abuse. On Windows deployments, the risk is scored as a medium because services frequently run under less-privileged service accounts by default.

CVSS 3.1 breakdown

Attack vectorNetwork
Attack complexityLow
Privileges requiredHigh
User interactionNone
ScopeChanged
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityHigh
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected products

SolarWinds Serv-u< 15.5.4

Remediation

Fixed in
SolarWinds Serv-u≥ 15.5.4

References

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Frequently asked

Is CVE-2025-40538 being actively exploited?

CVE-2025-40538 is not in the CISA KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit probability is 0.51%.

How severe is CVE-2025-40538?

CVE-2025-40538 has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.1, rated critical. EPSS estimates a 0.51% probability of exploitation.

Which products are affected by CVE-2025-40538?

Affected products include SolarWinds Serv-u.

How do I fix CVE-2025-40538?

Upgrade affected software to a fixed version, for example SolarWinds Serv-u 15.5.4 or later, then confirm no affected versions remain in your inventory.

How Secuno handles this

Secuno correlates vulnerabilities like CVE-2025-40538 against the real software inventory on every managed device, as each hourly inventory arrives. Rather than a static severity, each match is scored in context: exploit availability, EPSS, the asset's exposure, and business criticality decide where it lands in the queue. If an affected version is present anywhere across your portfolio, it surfaces automatically with a prioritised remediation path.

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Data from the NVD, CISA KEV catalog and FIRST EPSS. CVSS 3.1 base score shown where available.