Is CVE-2025-40538 actively exploited?

No active exploitation of CVE-2025-40538 has been confirmed so far. Continue monitoring, as exploit status can change.

Can CVE-2025-40538 be exploited remotely?

Yes. CVE-2025-40538 is exploitable remotely over the network (CVSS attack vector: Network).

What is the CVSS score of CVE-2025-40538?

CVE-2025-40538 has a CVSS score of 7.2 (HIGH) and an EPSS exploitation probability of 0.03%.

HOME VULNERABILITIESCVE-2025-40538

HIGH

CVE-2025-40538

CWE-269Published: February 24, 2026· Updated: Feb 24, 2026

7.2

CVSS v3.1

EPSS:0.03%probability of exploitation in 30 daysPercentile:8.0th

Official 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.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2025-40538 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.

Exploitation requires high privileges, which limits the exposure to scenarios where an attacker has already gained initial access.

A successful exploit results in complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), full integrity compromise (data manipulation), availability disruption (denial of service), with a CVSS base score of 7.2.

CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown

Exploitability

Attack VectorNetwork

Attack ComplexityLow

Privileges Req.High

User InteractionNone

ScopeUnchanged

Impact

ConfidentialityHigh

IntegrityHigh

AvailabilityHigh

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected Vendors & Products

solarwinds1 product

serv-u

Source: NVD CPE · 1 total CPE entries

Exploit & PoC Resources

NO KNOWN EXPLOITNo public exploit confirmed at this time

Exploit-DB

Offensive Security exploit database

GitHub PoC Search

Community PoC repositories

Rapid7 / Metasploit

Metasploit module search

PacketStorm

Security advisories & exploits

External links open in a new tab. Always verify in a controlled environment before use.

Official Patches & Advisories

ADVISORYhttps://documentation.solarwinds.com/en/success_center/servu/content/release_notes/servu_15-5-4_release_notes.htm

ADVISORYhttps://www.solarwinds.com/trust-center/security-advisories/CVE-2025-40538

News & Research Mentioning CVE-2025-40538

SolarWinds Patches 4 Critical Serv-U 15.5 Flaws Allowing Root Code Execution

The Hacker News· Feb 25, 2026

SolarWinds has released updates to address four critical security flaws in its Serv-U file transfer software that, if successfully exploited, could result in remote code execution. The vulnerabilities, all rated 9.1 on the CVSS scoring system, are listed below - CVE-2025-40538 - A broken access control vulnerability that allows an attacker to create a system admin user and execute arbitrary [xlite_meta score:50 src:The Hacker News xlite_fp:8f7ae0aed277c8fd7be34dee351f11f8628b9210bd08f9baea7a73573aee794a]