CVE-2025-32975
CVE-2025-32975 is a security flaw in Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA). Attackers can get into Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) without a valid password. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) added it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks on 20 Apr 2026.[1]
Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) is business software or equipment. Most families won’t have it, but attackers break into it to get inside companies, and from there to what those companies hold about their customers, patients and staff. Quest has published a fix or advice.
Description
CISA calls it an improper authentication in Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA). In its words: “Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) contains an improper authentication vulnerability that could allow attackers to impersonate legitimate users without valid credentials.”[1]
The CVE record adds: “Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) 13.0.x before 13.0.385, 13.1.x before 13.1.81, 13.2.x before 13.2.183, 14.0.x before 14.0.341 (Patch 5), and 14.1.x before 14.1.101 (Patch 4) contains an authentication bypass vulnerability that allows attackers to impersonate legitimate users without valid credentials. The vulnerability exists in the SSO authentication handling mechanism and can lead to complete administrative takeover.”[2]
The underlying weakness is improper authentication (CWE-287), in MITRE’s list of common software weaknesses.
It scores 10.0 out of 10 on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System, which rates it critical, scored by the organisation that published the CVE using CVSS 3.1.[2]
Affected versions
NVD’s record doesn’t list version ranges for it; Quest’s advisory has them[3]. CISA names the product as Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA).
Most families won’t have Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA); it’s for whoever looks after IT at work.
Exploitation
CISA added it to its catalog of known exploited vulnerabilities on 20 Apr 2026, 300 days after it was made public. CISA lists a flaw only when it has reliable evidence of it being exploited, and gave US federal agencies until 4 May 2026 to fix it.[1]
FIRST’s Exploit Prediction Scoring System, which estimates how likely a flaw is to be used in attacks in the next 30 days from what it sees across the internet, puts it at 2%. That’s in the top 16% of the flaws it scores.[4]
CISA assesses it as automatable: attackers can run it against many targets at once.
CISA doesn’t say who was attacked, or how.
Fix
Quest has published a fix or advice.[3] CISA’s required action: “Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.”[1]
- Check whether you use it.Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) is business software or equipment, so most families won’t have it. If you run a business, or work from home on company equipment, ask whoever looks after your IT.
- Send this page to your IT person.Ask them to confirm it’s fixed, or not in use. CISA gave US government agencies until 4 May 2026 to fix it.
- If it can’t be fixed, take it offline.CISA’s advice when there’s no fix is to stop using the product, or take it off the internet, until there is one.
You can’t fix someone else’s server, but you can watch for what follows a break-in like this: a breach notice, a password reset you didn’t ask for, or a scam message that knows things it shouldn’t. HARD watches for those for you and your family.
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| The flaw is made public in the National Vulnerability Database, with a severity score of 10.0.[2] | |
| CISA adds it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks.[1] | |
| CISA’s deadline for US government agencies to fix it.[1] | |
| FIRST puts the odds of it being used in attacks in the next 30 days at 2%.[4] |
See also
Other Quest flaws
- CVE-2018-11138, Quest KACE System Management Appliance: remote command execution ·
Other improper authentication flaws
- CVE-2026-105133, AhsayCBS: improper authentication ·
- CVE-2026-42018, JFrog Artifactory: improper authentication ·
- CVE-2026-82329, JFrog Artifactory: improper authentication ·
- CVE-2026-59822, BerriAI LiteLLM: improper authentication ·
- CVE-2023-49105, ownCloud: improper authentication ·
Added the same day
- CVE-2026-20133, Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager: exposure of sensitive information to an unauthorized actor ·
- CVE-2026-20128, Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager: storing passwords in a recoverable format ·
- CVE-2026-20122, Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manger: catalyst SD-WAN manager incorrect use of privileged APIs ·
- CVE-2025-48700, Synacor Zimbra Collaboration Suite (ZCS): cross-site scripting ·
- CVE-2025-2749, Kentico Xperience: xperience path traversal ·
References
- ^ Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. “Quest KACE Systems Management Appliance (SMA) Improper Authentication Vulnerability”. Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, added 20 Apr 2026.
- ^ National Institute of Standards and Technology. “CVE-2025-32975 Detail”. National Vulnerability Database, published 24 Jun 2025.
- ^ Quest. Advisories and fixes: support.quest.com.
- ^ FIRST. “Exploit Prediction Scoring System”. EPSS 0.025, percentile 84.6, 31 Oct 2026.
- CVE Program. “CVE-2025-32975”. The official CVE record.
This article is built from CISA’s catalog (version 2026.10.30), NVD’s record and FIRST’s scores, kept in HARD’s database and checked every morning. The plain English is HARD’s.