The Command Line Gap: How Metasploit Abuse and SOC Undertraining Are Leaving Organizations Exposed

In late May 2025, security researchers observed active exploitation of a newly discovered Windows Task Scheduler vulnerability: CVE‑2025‑2389, which has been added to CISA’s Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) Catalog, mandating remediation by July 8, 2025. Exploited in the wild using the popular Metasploit framework, this CVE allows local privilege escalation—essentially giving an attacker a fast track to elevated access on compromised systems. This abuse highlights a critical security issue: the weaponization of legitimate tools like Metasploit, and the insufficient command-line (CLI) literacy among many Security Operations Center (SOC) analysts. 

CVE-2024-49039: Another Case of Missed Detection 

While CVE-2025-2389 has gained attention, it's not the only recent vulnerability tied to exploitation and Metasploit discussions. CVE‑2024‑49039, a Windows Task Scheduler local privilege escalation flaw, has been confirmed by multiple reputable sources to have been actively exploited in the wild. It was officially added to the CISA KEV Catalog on February 11, 2025, with a mandated remediation deadline.

Coverage of this vulnerability can be found on sites such as TrueFort, Rapid7, and Reddit. However, as of June 2025, no official Metasploit module for CVE‑2024‑49039—or for CVE‑2025‑2389—has been released by Rapid7 or any other source (Eventus Security Advisory, Rapid7 Research). Rapid7’s Metasploit Wrap-Up for March 28, 2025, only references a Windows LPE module for CVE‑2024‑30085, not CVE‑49039 or CVE‑2389. 

A Tool for Offense and Defense 

Metasploit’s modular architecture makes it an invaluable offensive tool. But despite the growing adoption of defensive technologies, many SOC teams still lack the skills to detect early-stage exploitation—especially from the command line. 

Dashboards may hide raw signals behind abstraction. However, command-line activity provides direct insight into attacker behavior—if analysts know how to interpret it. 

Understanding the Command Line 

The command line is not just a legacy tool—it is a direct interface to the operating system. It offers instant access to system behaviors, process trees, and user activities that GUIs often obfuscate or delay. 

In real-time response situations, especially during zero-day or Metasploit-driven attacks, time matters. A CLI-proficient analyst can reduce dwell time drastically. 

Detecting Metasploit Through the Command Line 

Common Metasploit actions often leave behind clues: 

• Unusual Network Connections: netstat -ano or ss -tunap reveals C2 traffic, especially on suspicious ports like 4444.
• Suspicious Processes: Use tasklist, ps, or PowerShell’s Get-Process to spot odd instances of cmd.exe, powershell.exe, or staged payloads.
• New User Accounts: Commands like net user or cat /etc/passwd often expose attacker-created persistence mechanisms. - Abnormal Services: sc query or systemctl list-units help find unauthorized services.
• Abnormal Services: sc query or systemctl list-units help find unauthorized services.
• File System Changes: dir /T:C or find / -ctime -1 can locate recently dropped tools or payloads. 

Mitigation Steps 

Once Metasploit activity is identified: 

• Kill Suspicious Processes: taskkill /PID <pid> /F or kill -9 <pid>
• Block C2 Traffic: Use netsh or iptables
• Remove Persistence: Delete malicious user accounts, services, registry entries, and scheduled tasks
• Isolate Affected Hosts and estore from verified backups
• Change Credentials for potentially compromised accounts 

SOC Training Gap: Root of the Issue

SOC analysts often know what Metasploit is, but not how it behaves. This gap stems from GUI-focused training, which neglects raw incident response. 

• CLI underutilized: Many analysts can’t execute netstat, ps, or sc without guidance.
• Certifications fall short: Most training programs emphasize dashboards, not triage at the command line.
• EDR is not enough: GUI-based detection misses many real-world attack signatures.

A Call to Action

Defenders must treat the command line as a primary tool—not a fallback. The recurring pattern of CVEs like 49039 and 2389 being exploited with little warning shows how rapidly attackers weaponize weaknesses. SOC teams that rely solely on IPS/EDR/SIEM dashboards or wait for Metasploit modules may be too late.

Instead, encourage: 

• Hands-on CLI exercises: Simulated red team scenarios.
• Daily use of terminal-based threat hunting.
• Tracking KEV updates and validating tool availability directly, not assuming based on chatter.

Conclusion 

The exploitation of vulnerabilities like CVE‑2024‑49039 and CVE‑2025‑2389 through platforms like Metasploit reveals a pressing reality: attackers move fast, and defenders must move faster. 
 
Command-line mastery is no longer optional. It is the frontline skill that enables real-time detection and response. SOC leaders must prioritize CLI fluency and operationalize the basics—because the basics are where attackers leave clues.