A critical remote code execution (RCE) vulnerability in Erlang/OTP’s SSH implementation (CVE-2025-32433) has now entered active exploit risk after researchers published a proof-of-concept (PoC) this week.
The flaw, discovered by Fabian Bäumer, Marcus Brinkmann, Marcel Maehren, and Jörg Schwenk of Ruhr University Bochum, allows unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary code on vulnerable systems, posing a severe threat to servers using Erlang/OTP for SSH connectivity.
Vulnerability Overview
The flaw (CVSSv3 10.0) stems from improper handling of SSH protocol messages, enabling attackers to bypass authentication and send malicious payloads during the connection phase.
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Successful exploitation grants full control over the target system, especially if the SSH daemon runs with root privileges.
“This vulnerability is a worst-case scenario for exposed systems,” the researchers warned. “Attackers can manipulate data, deploy ransomware, or hijack infrastructure without requiring credentials.”
All Erlang/OTP versions before OTP-27.3.3, 26.2.5.11, and 25.3.2.20 are vulnerable. Erlang/OTP’s SSH library is widely used in telecommunications, IoT, and high-availability systems, including popular frameworks like RabbitMQ and Elixir.
The Erlang/OTP team released patches on April 16, 2025. Administrators must:
- Immediately upgrade to the fixed versions.
- Restrict SSH access via firewalls if patching is delayed.
- Audit systems for unusual activity, as exploits may precede patches.
Temporary workarounds include disabling SSH or limiting connections to trusted IPs.
With the PoC now public, threat actors are expected to weaponize this flaw rapidly. Cybersecurity agencies globally have issued alerts urging prioritized remediation.
The Ruhr University team emphasized transparency: “We collaborated closely with Erlang maintainers to ensure swift patches. Organizations must act now—this is not a theoretical risk.”
CVE-2025-32433 underscores the critical need for vigilance in open-source dependencies.
As Erlang/OTP underpins numerous enterprise systems, delays in patching could lead to widespread breaches. System owners are advised to treat this vulnerability with the highest urgency.
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