Unauthenticated API access via hardcoded ServicesAPI credentials
Published Jun 17, 2025 · Updated Feb 26, 2026
Hardcoded credentials in Sitecore Experience Manager and Experience Platform allow remote attackers to access administrative APIs over HTTP. Installers seed the Core database with the same one-character password for the sitecore\ServicesAPI account, and the admin-site authentication path issues it a valid session because the backend-site check is skipped. Network access to the Sitecore authentication endpoint is sufficient; the account is low privileged, but its session crosses IIS authentication gates and exposes authenticated APIs and protected endpoints.
Summary
What happened
Hardcoded credentials in Sitecore Experience Manager and Experience Platform allow remote attackers to access administrative APIs over HTTP. Installers seed the Core database with the same one-character password for the sitecore\ServicesAPI account, and the admin-site authentication path issues it a valid session because the backend-site check is skipped. Network access to the Sitecore authentication endpoint is sufficient; the account is low privileged, but its session crosses IIS authentication gates and exposes authenticated APIs and protected endpoints.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-34509
- Published
- Jun 17, 2025
- Updated
- Feb 26, 2026
- Vendor
- Sitecore
- Product
- Sitecore Experience Manager
- Classifications
- CWE-798, T1078.001
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jun 17, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Feb 26, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=10.1 <10.1.4 rev. 011974 PRE
- Affected versionversion=10.3 <10.3.3 rev. 011967 PRE
- Affected versionversion=10.4 <10.4.1 rev. 011941 PRE
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- watchTowr ServicesAPI authentication proof of conceptproof of concept · demonstrated
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Technologies
Your stack
See the directory against your own environment.
Your stack
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