Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
An Erlang/OTP SSH SFTP server can be pressured into consuming excessive system resources through unverified file handles. The known impact is availability degradation, not data theft or code execution. Risk is highest where Erlang SSH SFTP is enabled and reachable by authenticated users.
Executive priority
Handle this as a moderate availability risk. It is most urgent for production systems exposing Erlang-based SFTP to users or partners. It does not currently warrant emergency code-execution response based on the supplied evidence, but affected internet-facing services should be upgraded promptly.
Technical view
CVE-2025-48038 is a resource allocation flaw in Erlang OTP ssh_sftp modules, associated with lib/ssh/src/ssh_sftpd.erl. The CVSS 4.0 vector is network-accessible, low complexity, and requires low privileges, with low availability impact and no stated confidentiality or integrity impact.
Likely exposure
Exposure depends on use of Erlang/OTP SSH SFTP server functionality in affected OTP and ssh versions. Systems not running the OTP ssh_sftp server path are less likely exposed. The bundle identifies broad OTP ranges from 17.0 through affected 26, 27, and 28 maintenance lines.
Exploitation context
The provided sources do not show CISA KEV listing or active exploitation evidence. The vulnerability requires network access and low privileges, so authenticated or otherwise permitted SFTP users are the relevant threat model. Treat internet-reachable or partner-facing SFTP endpoints as higher priority.
Researcher notes
Evidence points to unbounded or leaked resource handling around ssh_sftpd file handles. The supplied CVSS indicates low privileges are required and only availability is impacted. Public sources name patches, but do not provide active exploitation evidence in the bundle.
Mitigation direction
- Review the Erlang advisory and apply the vendor-fixed OTP or ssh maintenance release.
- Prioritize externally reachable Erlang SSH SFTP services and shared hosting environments.
- Restrict SFTP access to trusted users and networks where feasible.
- Monitor SFTP hosts for abnormal resource consumption until upgraded.
- Track downstream package or container rebuilds that include the OTP fix.
Validation and detection
- Inventory Erlang/OTP and ssh application versions across services and images.
- Confirm whether Erlang SSH SFTP server functionality is enabled and reachable.
- Map exposed SFTP endpoints to affected OTP maintenance lines.
- Verify deployed builds include the referenced Erlang OTP patch or advisory-fixed release.
- Check operational telemetry for unexplained CPU, memory, or file-handle pressure.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
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CWE-400: Exact CWE lookup
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Open ATT&CK lookupCWE-770: Exact CWE lookup
Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2025-48038 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Medium
- CVSS
- 5.3 (4.0)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
SSVC decision data
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N——EEFVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 4.0 score
5.3MediumVector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N
Vulnerability timeline
Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.
- CVE reservedCVE Program
The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.
- CVE publishedCVE Program
The CVE record was published.
- CVE updatedCVE Program
The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.
ADP provider summaries
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://github.com/erlang/otp/security/advisories/GHSA-pvj7-9652-7h9rCVE reference, EEF · vendor-advisory, related
- https://cna.erlef.org/cves/CVE-2025-48038.htmlCVE reference, EEF · related
- https://osv.dev/vulnerability/EEF-CVE-2025-48038CVE reference, EEF · related
- https://www.erlang.org/doc/system/versions.html#order-of-versionsCVE reference, EEF · x_version-scheme
- https://github.com/erlang/otp/pull/10156CVE reference, EEF · patch
- https://github.com/erlang/otp/commit/4e3bf86777ab3db7220c11d8ddabf15970ddd10aCVE reference, EEF · patch
- https://github.com/erlang/otp/commit/f09e0201ff701993dc24a08f15e524daf72db42fCVE reference, EEF · patch
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Uncontrolled Resource Consumption
Uncontrolled Resource Consumption represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.
Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling
Allocation of Resources Without Limits or Throttling represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.