CVE-2025-0337: ServiceNow Authorization Bypass Vulnerability

CVE-2025-0337 Overview

ServiceNow has addressed an authorization bypass vulnerability identified in the Washington release of the Now Platform. This vulnerability, if exploited, could potentially enable an authenticated user to access unauthorized data stored within the Now Platform that the user otherwise would not be entitled to access. The issue is classified as CWE-639 (Authorization Bypass Through User-Controlled Key), indicating a flaw in how the platform validates user authorization for accessing specific resources.

Critical Impact

An authenticated attacker could bypass authorization controls to access sensitive data stored within the Now Platform, potentially exposing confidential business information, customer data, or system configurations that should be restricted.

Affected Products

• ServiceNow Now Platform - Washington Release
• ServiceNow Hosted Deployments
• ServiceNow Self-Hosted Deployments

Discovery Timeline

• March 6, 2025 - CVE-2025-0337 published to NVD
• March 6, 2025 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-0337

Vulnerability Analysis

This authorization bypass vulnerability stems from improper access control mechanisms within the ServiceNow Now Platform's Washington release. The vulnerability allows authenticated users to circumvent normal authorization checks, enabling access to data records and resources beyond their permitted scope. The issue affects the platform's ability to properly validate whether a requesting user has legitimate entitlements to the data being accessed.

The network-accessible nature of this vulnerability means attackers can exploit it remotely through normal platform interfaces. The attack requires low privilege levels, specifically just authenticated access to the platform, and does not require user interaction. The impact is primarily on data confidentiality, with high potential for unauthorized information disclosure.

Root Cause

The root cause is identified as CWE-639: Authorization Bypass Through User-Controlled Key. This weakness occurs when the application uses user-controlled input to determine which resources or records to access without properly verifying that the user is authorized to access those specific resources. In the context of ServiceNow, this could manifest in API endpoints, record queries, or data retrieval functions that fail to enforce proper access control list (ACL) rules or role-based access controls.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based, requiring an authenticated session on the Now Platform. An attacker with valid credentials (even low-privileged ones) could craft requests that manipulate resource identifiers or query parameters to access data belonging to other users, departments, or security domains. This type of vulnerability is commonly exploited through:

• Manipulating record sys_id values in API requests
• Altering query parameters to bypass record-level security
• Exploiting inconsistent ACL enforcement across different access methods
• Leveraging direct object references without proper authorization validation

The attack does not require any user interaction and can be performed entirely through programmatic API access or normal browser interactions with the platform.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-0337

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual data access patterns from authenticated users accessing records outside their normal scope
• Elevated API request volumes targeting specific tables or records from single user sessions
• Access logs showing users retrieving data from restricted tables or security domains
• Anomalous query patterns attempting to enumerate record identifiers

Detection Strategies

• Implement audit logging for all data access requests and monitor for authorization failures followed by successful accesses to the same resources
• Deploy User and Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA) to detect abnormal access patterns deviating from user baselines
• Configure ServiceNow Security Operations to alert on access attempts to sensitive tables from unauthorized roles
• Review application logs for patterns indicating systematic record enumeration or identifier manipulation

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable verbose logging for ACL evaluations and authorization decisions in the Now Platform
• Monitor ServiceNow system logs (syslog) for authorization-related events and failures
• Configure alerts for bulk data exports or unusual report generation activities
• Implement real-time monitoring of API endpoints commonly used for data retrieval

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-0337

Immediate Actions Required

• Apply the latest patches and family releases provided by ServiceNow immediately
• Review and audit current user access permissions and role assignments for excessive privileges
• Enable enhanced logging and monitoring for data access events during the remediation period
• Conduct a review of recently accessed sensitive data to identify potential unauthorized access

Patch Information

ServiceNow has released patches addressing this vulnerability for both hosted and self-hosted deployments. Hosted customers should verify that their instances have been updated, while self-hosted customers must download and apply the relevant patches from the ServiceNow Knowledge Base Article. Partners should also ensure their environments are updated to the patched versions.

Customers should reference KB1948695 for specific patch versions, installation instructions, and verification steps.

Workarounds

• Implement additional network segmentation to restrict access to the Now Platform from untrusted networks
• Enable additional multi-factor authentication requirements for accessing sensitive data tables
• Review and tighten ACL rules for tables containing sensitive information until patches can be applied
• Consider implementing read-only access temporarily for non-essential users while evaluating exposure

# ServiceNow instance verification steps
# Check current patch level in ServiceNow
# Navigate to: System Diagnostics > Stats > Stats

# Review ACL configurations for sensitive tables
# Navigate to: System Security > Access Control (ACL)

# Enable enhanced audit logging
# Navigate to: System Logs > System Log > All
# Configure audit policies for data access monitoring