CVE-2025-41245 Overview
CVE-2025-41245 is an information disclosure vulnerability affecting VMware Aria Operations. A malicious actor holding non-administrative privileges within Aria Operations can exploit this flaw to disclose the credentials of other users of the platform. Broadcom addressed the issue in security advisory VMSA-2025-0015 alongside CVE-2025-41244 and CVE-2025-41246. The weakness is categorized under [CWE-1188] (Initialization of a Resource with an Insecure Default). Because Aria Operations manages credentials used to monitor and interact with virtualization infrastructure, exposure of those credentials can enable lateral movement into other components of the VMware estate.
Critical Impact
An authenticated low-privileged Aria Operations user can retrieve credentials belonging to other users, enabling privilege escalation and lateral access to monitored systems.
Affected Products
- VMware Aria Operations (see Broadcom Security Advisory VMSA-2025-0015 for supported version matrix)
- Deployments integrating Aria Operations with vCenter and ESXi hosts
- Environments where Aria Operations stores service or user credentials for monitored endpoints
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-09-29 - CVE-2025-41245 published to the National Vulnerability Database
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-41245
Vulnerability Analysis
CVE-2025-41245 is an information disclosure flaw in VMware Aria Operations. An authenticated user without administrative rights can access credential data belonging to other Aria Operations users. This breaks the isolation expected between tenants and role-based access boundaries in the product. Aria Operations frequently stores credentials for adapters that connect to vCenter, ESXi, SDDC Manager, and third-party monitored systems. Disclosure of these secrets can hand an attacker legitimate credentials to pivot into the underlying virtualization fabric. The vulnerability requires network access to the Aria Operations interface and does not require user interaction. Confidentiality is fully impacted, while integrity and availability remain unaffected by the primary flaw.
Root Cause
The issue is classified under [CWE-1188], Initialization of a Resource with an Insecure Default. Aria Operations exposes credential material through a resource or interface whose default access controls do not adequately restrict retrieval to administrative principals. As a result, a non-administrative account inherits visibility into secrets it should never be able to read. Broadcom has not publicly detailed the specific component or API path in the advisory.
Attack Vector
Exploitation is network-based and requires valid non-administrative credentials to the Aria Operations application. Once authenticated, the attacker queries the affected interface and retrieves credentials belonging to other users. No social engineering or user interaction is required. The disclosed credentials can then be reused against vCenter, ESXi, or any other integrated system, converting a limited foothold into broader access. Because no verified proof-of-concept is publicly available, defenders should treat the mechanism generically. See the Broadcom Security Advisory VMSA-2025-0015 for the fixed version matrix and remediation steps.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-41245
Indicators of Compromise
- Aria Operations audit log entries showing non-administrative users accessing credential, adapter, or user-management endpoints.
- Successful authentications to vCenter or ESXi using service account credentials originating from unexpected source hosts.
- Sudden reuse of Aria Operations adapter credentials from IP addresses outside the Aria Operations appliance range.
Detection Strategies
- Enable and centralize Aria Operations audit logs, then alert on read operations against credential storage APIs by non-admin roles.
- Correlate Aria Operations user activity with downstream authentication events on vCenter, ESXi, and integrated systems to spot credential reuse.
- Baseline normal API usage for each Aria Operations role and flag deviations, particularly access to configuration or user objects.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Forward Aria Operations, vCenter, and ESXi logs to a centralized analytics platform for cross-source correlation.
- Monitor for privilege changes and new session tokens issued to accounts that historically had limited scope.
- Review adapter credential rotation logs to confirm any suspected disclosure is remediated across integrated systems.
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-41245
Immediate Actions Required
- Apply the fixed Aria Operations builds listed in Broadcom Security Advisory VMSA-2025-0015 as soon as change windows permit.
- Rotate all credentials stored within Aria Operations, including adapter, service account, and integration credentials.
- Review non-administrative Aria Operations accounts and remove any that are unused or over-provisioned.
Patch Information
Broadcom released fixed versions of VMware Aria Operations addressing CVE-2025-41245 as part of advisory VMSA-2025-0015, which also covers CVE-2025-41244 and CVE-2025-41246. Consult the advisory for the exact fixed build numbers corresponding to your deployed version. Apply patches through the standard Aria Operations upgrade process and validate service functionality afterward.
Workarounds
- No official workaround is documented; restrict network access to the Aria Operations interface to trusted management networks until patching completes.
- Enforce strong authentication and least-privilege role assignments for all Aria Operations users to reduce the pool of accounts capable of exploiting the flaw.
- Segment monitored systems so that compromise of Aria Operations credentials cannot immediately grant administrative access to vCenter or ESXi.
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
