dbcve.org
Serv UApplication · Solarwinds

CVE-2025-40547

CRITICAL · 9.1 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-11-18
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 15.5.3 or later.
See remediation →
97/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
A logic error vulnerability exists in Serv-U which when abused could give a malicious actor with access to admin privileges the ability to execute code. 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.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · moderate confidence

A logic error vulnerability in SolarWinds Serv-U FTP server allows an authenticated administrator to execute arbitrary code. The vulnerability is post-authentication and requires admin-level privileges to exploit, making it a privilege escalation issue.

MitigationRestrict Serv-U administrative access to trusted personnel only and apply vendor security patches when released. On Windows deployments, ensure the service runs under a least-privilege service account to limit impact.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Serv UApplication
Affected:< 15.5.3

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
High
User interaction
None
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

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

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Confirm SolarWinds Serv-U is installed
    Check for Serv-U installation: On Windows, look for C:\Program Files\SolarWinds\Serv-U or check Programs and Features. On Linux, check /opt/serv-u or run 'serv-u-admin' command. Verify the Serv-U service is running.
    Affected if Serv-U FTP server is present on the system
  2. Identify installed Serv-U version
    On Windows: Open Serv-U Administration UI and check the About section, or run 'ServUAdmin.exe -version' from the installation directory. On Linux: Run 'serv-u-admin -v' or check the version file in the installation directory.
    Affected if Version cannot be determined or is less than 15.5.3
  3. Compare version against affected range
    Document the exact version number found and compare it to the affected range: versions strictly before 15.5.3 are vulnerable.
    Affected if Installed version is below 15.5.3
  4. Verify admin access is enabled
    Check if the Serv-U administrative interface is accessible. On Windows, verify the Serv-U Admin Service is running and check listening ports (typically 8787, 443 for admin). Confirm admin accounts exist in Serv-U user management.
    Affected if Administrative interface is accessible and admin-level accounts are configured

You are affected if Serv-U FTP server is installed with a version lower than 15.5.3 and administrative access is available.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 15.5.3 or later
Fixed in 15.5.3
Interim mitigation

Restrict Serv-U administrative access to trusted personnel only and apply vendor security patches when released. On Windows deployments, ensure the service runs under a least-privilege service account to limit impact.

Recommended fix High confidence

Serv-U 15.5.3

  1. Download Serv-U version 15.5.3 or later from the official SolarWinds download portal (support.solarwinds.com or www.solarwinds.com)
  2. Review the Serv-U 15.5.3 release notes for any pre-upgrade requirements or migration steps
  3. Back up the current Serv-U configuration, including the Serv-U.xml or .ini configuration files
  4. Stop the Serv-U service before performing the upgrade
  5. Install or upgrade to Serv-U version 15.5.3 using the SolarWinds installation wizard
  6. Start the Serv-U service after the upgrade completes
  7. Verify the Serv-U web admin interface is accessible and the version displays as 15.5.3 or later
  8. Test file transfer functionality to confirm normal operations
Caveat Check release notes for any configuration or feature changes; upgrades within same major version typically maintain compatibility

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Serv U Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
14.0 hours of engineering $2,490
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,984.

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2025-40547 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data