Can you explain this vulnerability to me?

CVE-2026-25160 is a vulnerability in the Alist file list program prior to version 3.57.0 where TLS certificate verification was disabled by default for all outgoing storage driver communications.

This means that the application did not verify the authenticity of TLS certificates when connecting to storage services, making it vulnerable to Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) attacks.

Attackers could intercept, decrypt, steal, and manipulate all data transmitted during storage operations, severely compromising the confidentiality and integrity of user data.

The vulnerability was caused by the default configuration setting `TlsInsecureSkipVerify` being set to true, which skips TLS certificate verification.

This issue was patched in version 3.57.0 by changing the default to enforce TLS certificate verification and removing insecure configuration options.

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How can this vulnerability impact me? :

This vulnerability allows attackers to perform Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) attacks on the communication between the Alist application and storage services.

As a result, attackers can intercept and decrypt sensitive data, steal authentication credentials such as cookies, and manipulate data during storage operations.

Such attacks can be carried out remotely over the network with low complexity and no user interaction required.

The impact includes severe compromise of data confidentiality and integrity, potentially leading to unauthorized data access and data tampering.

This can affect all deployments of Alist prior to version 3.57.0 that use the default insecure TLS configuration.

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How does this vulnerability affect compliance with common standards and regulations (like GDPR, HIPAA)?:

I don't know

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How can this vulnerability be detected on my network or system? Can you suggest some commands?

This vulnerability can be detected by checking if the Alist application is running a version prior to 3.57.0 and if the TLS certificate verification is disabled (i.e., the TlsInsecureSkipVerify setting is enabled).

One practical way to detect exploitation attempts is to monitor network traffic for suspicious TLS connections that do not properly verify certificates or to look for unusual DNS redirections or ARP spoofing activities that could indicate Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) attacks.

To check the configuration within the application environment, you can inspect the configuration files or logs for warnings about insecure TLS settings, as the patched version logs explicit warnings when TlsInsecureSkipVerify is enabled.

• Check the Alist version: `alist --version` or check the deployed container/image version.
• Inspect configuration files for the TlsInsecureSkipVerify setting (should be false in secure versions).
• Monitor network traffic for suspicious TLS connections using tools like `tcpdump` or `Wireshark`.
• Check for DNS hijacking or ARP spoofing with commands like `arp -a` or `dig` to verify DNS resolutions.
• Look for warning logs in Alist startup logs indicating insecure TLS configuration.

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What immediate steps should I take to mitigate this vulnerability?

The immediate and most effective mitigation is to upgrade the Alist application to version 3.57.0 or later, where the vulnerability has been patched by enforcing TLS certificate verification by default.

If upgrading immediately is not possible, manually ensure that the TlsInsecureSkipVerify setting is set to false in the configuration to enable TLS certificate verification and prevent MitM attacks.

Additionally, monitor your network for signs of MitM attacks such as DNS hijacking or ARP spoofing and secure your network infrastructure to prevent such attacks.

• Upgrade Alist to version 3.57.0 or later.
• Set `TlsInsecureSkipVerify` to false in the configuration files.
• Review and harden network security to prevent DNS and ARP spoofing.
• Check Alist logs for warnings about insecure TLS settings and address them promptly.

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