CVE-2025-54808: Oxford Nanopore Technologies MinKNOW Insufficiently Protected Credentials
Oxford Nanopore Technologies' MinKNOW software at or prior to version 24.11 stores authentication tokens in a file located in the system's temporary directory (/tmp) on the host machine. This directory is typically world-readable, allowing any local user or application to access the token. If the token is leaked (e.g., via malware infection or other local exploit), and remote access is enabled, it can be used to establish unauthorized remote connections to the sequencer. Remote access must be enabled for remote exploitation to succeed. This may occur either because the user has enabled remote access for legitimate operational reasons or because malware with elevated privileges (e.g., sudo access) enables it without user consent. This vulnerability can be chained with remote access capabilities to generate a developer token from a remote device. Developer tokens can be created with arbitrary expiration dates, enabling persistent access to the sequencer and bypassing standard authentication mechanisms.
Affected Software
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of CVE-2025-54808?
CVE-2025-54808 has been classified as a high severity vulnerability due to the improper storage of authentication tokens in a world-readable directory.
How do I fix CVE-2025-54808?
To mitigate CVE-2025-54808, users should upgrade to a version of MinKNOW software that is greater than 24.11 or apply security patches provided by Oxford Nanopore Technologies.
Who is affected by CVE-2025-54808?
CVE-2025-54808 affects users of Oxford Nanopore Technologies' MinKNOW software version 24.11 and prior.
What is the impact of CVE-2025-54808?
The impact of CVE-2025-54808 includes unauthorized access to authentication tokens, which may lead to credential theft and unauthorized system access.
Is there a workaround for CVE-2025-54808?
A potential workaround for CVE-2025-54808 is to change the permissions of the /tmp directory to restrict access until the software can be upgraded.