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CVE-2025-49521: Critical Vulnerability in EDA Component of Ansible Automation Platform

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Overview

This blog post details the critical vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-49521, which affects the EDA component of the Ansible Automation Platform. The flaw allows authenticated users to inject malicious expressions that execute commands or access sensitive files on the EDA worker. In OpenShift environments, this vulnerability can lead to service account token theft. Given its severity and the potential for system compromise or data leakage, it is crucial for users and administrators of Ansible Automation Platform to understand and address this vulnerability promptly.

Vulnerability Summary

CVE ID: CVE-2025-49521
Severity: Critical (8.8 CVSS Score)
Attack Vector: User-supplied Git branch or refspec values
Privileges Required: User-level
User Interaction: Required
Impact: System compromise or data leakage, service account token theft in OpenShift environments

Affected Products

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Product | Affected Versions

Ansible Automation Platform | All versions up to and including the latest version
OpenShift | All versions when integrated with Ansible Automation Platform

How the Exploit Works

The flaw works by exploiting user-supplied Git branch or refspec values that are evaluated as Jinja2 templates in the EDA component of the Ansible Automation Platform. An authenticated user can inject malicious expressions, which can execute commands or access sensitive files on the EDA worker. In an OpenShift environment, this vulnerability can be leveraged to steal service account tokens.

Conceptual Example Code

Below is a conceptual example of how this vulnerability might be exploited:

POST /api/v1/ansible/git-refspec HTTP/1.1
Host: ansible.example.com
Content-Type: application/json
{ "git_refspec": "{{ lookup('file', '/etc/passwd') }}" }

In this example, the malicious user uses the Jinja2 template feature in Git branch or refspec values to read the contents of the ‘/etc/passwd’ file.

Mitigation Guidance

The most effective method to mitigate this vulnerability is to apply the patch provided by the vendor. If the patch cannot be applied immediately, using WAF (Web Application Firewall) or IDS (Intrusion Detection System) as a temporary mitigation can provide some level of protection. These security measures should be configured to detect and block the malicious Jinja2 expressions. However, these are only temporary solutions and the vendor’s patch should be applied as soon as possible to fully secure your system.

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Disclaimer:

The information and code presented in this article are provided for educational and defensive cybersecurity purposes only. Any conceptual or pseudocode examples are simplified representations intended to raise awareness and promote secure development and system configuration practices.

Do not use this information to attempt unauthorized access or exploit vulnerabilities on systems that you do not own or have explicit permission to test.

Ameeba and its authors do not endorse or condone malicious behavior and are not responsible for misuse of the content. Always follow ethical hacking guidelines, responsible disclosure practices, and local laws.

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