# CVE-2025-40553: SolarWinds Web Help Desk Deserialization of Untrusted Data Remote Code Execution Vulnerability

> Unauthenticated attackers can achieve remote code execution on SolarWinds Web Help Desk hosts via unsafe deserialization of untrusted data.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 28 Jan 2026
- **Updated:** 27 Feb 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-5gq3-mh83-6m28

## What is CVE-2025-40553?

CVE-2025-40553 is a critical unsafe deserialization vulnerability in SolarWinds Web Help Desk, published on 28 Jan 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

SolarWinds Web Help Desk was found to be susceptible to an untrusted data deserialization vulnerability that could lead to remote code execution, which would allow an attacker to run commands on the host machine. This could be exploited without authentication.

Weakness: CWE-502 (Deserialization of Untrusted Data)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-40553?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Solarwinds Web Help Desk.

## How do I fix CVE-2025-40553?

No fix has been published for CVE-2025-40553 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2025-40553 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2025-40553 exists.

## Other vulnerabilities in SolarWinds Web Help Desk

- [CVE-2025-40551](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-40551/): SolarWinds Web Help Desk Deserialization of Untrusted Data (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-26399](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-26399/): SolarWinds Web Help Desk Deserialization of Untrusted Data (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2024-28986](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-28986/): SolarWinds Web Help Desk Deserialization of Untrusted Data (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2024-28987](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-28987/): SolarWinds Web Help Desk Hardcoded Credential (critical 9.1, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2025-40536](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-40536/): SolarWinds Web Help Desk Security Control Bypass (high 8.1, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-40553 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-40553 is a critical unsafe deserialization vulnerability in SolarWinds Web Help Desk, published on 28 Jan 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2025-40553 exists.

Affected product: SolarWinds Web Help Desk. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-40553/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-40553/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-40553
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-40553
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-40553

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-40553/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.