CISA Mandates Federal Patch for Actively Exploited MongoBleed Flaw
▼ Summary
– CISA has ordered U.S. federal agencies to patch a high-severity MongoDB flaw, tracked as CVE-2025-14847 (MongoBleed), by January 19, 2026.
– The vulnerability allows unauthenticated attackers to remotely steal sensitive data like credentials and PII from unpatched systems.
– Security researchers have identified over 74,000 potentially vulnerable, internet-exposed MongoDB instances, and data suggests 42% of visible cloud systems have a vulnerable version.
– The flaw stems from how MongoDB Server processes network packets using the zlib library for data compression.
– Mitigations include applying the vendor patch, disabling zlib compression, or using a provided detection tool to identify exploitation.
A critical vulnerability in MongoDB, known as MongoBleed, has prompted an urgent federal mandate for patching. The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has directed all civilian federal agencies to secure their systems against this high-severity flaw, which attackers are actively exploiting to steal sensitive data. Tracked as CVE-2025-14847, the issue was patched by MongoDB on December 19, 2025, but many systems remain exposed.
The vulnerability resides in how the MongoDB Server processes network packets using the zlib library for data compression. This weakness allows unauthenticated attackers to remotely extract credentials, API keys, session tokens, internal logs, and personally identifiable information. These low-complexity attacks require no user interaction, making them particularly dangerous. A proof-of-concept exploit has already been published, demonstrating how to leak sensitive memory data from unpatched hosts.
Recent scans reveal the alarming scale of the problem. Security organizations have identified tens of thousands of internet-exposed MongoDB instances that are potentially vulnerable. Shadowserver found over 74,000 such instances, while Censys is tracking more than 87,000 IP addresses running possibly unpatched versions. Data from cloud security firm Wiz indicates a significant impact, with 42% of visible cloud systems having at least one instance vulnerable to this flaw.
In response to confirmed active exploitation, CISA has added MongoBleed to its catalog of known exploited vulnerabilities. The agency has issued a binding directive, giving Federal Civilian Executive Branch (FCEB) agencies a three-week deadline, until January 19, 2026, to apply patches. These agencies include major departments like Homeland Security, Treasury, Energy, and Health and Human Services.
CISA emphasized that such vulnerabilities are common attack vectors that pose serious risks. The agency advises applying vendor-provided mitigations immediately. For network defenders unable to patch instantly, a recommended temporary workaround is to disable zlib compression on the MongoDB server. Additionally, a specialized MongoBleed Detector tool is available to help administrators parse server logs and identify potential exploitation attempts on their networks.
As a leading non-relational database used by over 62,500 organizations globally, including many Fortune 500 companies, MongoDB’s widespread adoption makes this a far-reaching security concern. The federal mandate underscores the critical need for all organizations, not just government agencies, to prioritize applying this security update.
(Source: Bleeping Computer)
