# CVE-2025-48952: NetAlertX has Password Bypass Vulnerability due to Loose Comparison in PHP

> Attackers can bypass authentication in NetAlertX using SHA-256 magic hashes due to loose PHP comparison, gaining unauthorized access.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.4 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:L`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 4 Jul 2025
- **Updated:** 8 Jul 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-4p4p-vq2v-9489

## What is CVE-2025-48952?

CVE-2025-48952 is a critical authentication bypass vulnerability in jokob-sk NetAlertX, published on 4 Jul 2025. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

NetAlertX is a network, presence scanner, and alert framework. Prior to version 25.6.7, a vulnerability in the authentication logic allows users to bypass password verification using SHA-256 magic hashes, due to loose comparison in PHP. In vulnerable versions of the application, a password comparison is performed using the `==` operator at line 40 in front/index.php. This introduces a security issue where specially crafted "magic hash" values that evaluate to true in a loose comparison can bypass authentication. Because of the use of `==` instead of the strict `===`, different strings that begin with 0e and are followed by only digits can be interpreted as scientific notation (i.e., zero) and treated as equal. This issue falls under the Login Bypass vulnerability class. Users with certain "weird" passwords that produce magic hashes are particularly affected. Services relying on this logic are at risk of unauthorized access. Version 25.6.7 fixes the vulnerability.

Weakness: CWE-697 (Incorrect Comparison)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-48952?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Netalertx Netalertx.

## How do I fix CVE-2025-48952?

No fix has been published for CVE-2025-48952 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2025-48952 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2025-48952 exists.

## Other vulnerabilities in jokob-sk NetAlertX

- [CVE-2025-32440](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-32440/): NetAlertX Vulnerable to Authentication Bypass (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2024-46506](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-46506/): Command injection in NetAlertX (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2024-48766](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-48766/): Path traversal in NetAlertX (high 8.6)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-48952 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-48952 is a critical authentication bypass vulnerability in jokob-sk NetAlertX, published on 4 Jul 2025. 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-2025-48952 exists.

Affected product: jokob-sk NetAlertX. 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-2025-48952/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-48952/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-48952
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-48952
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-48952

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-48952/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.