Overview
Unveiled recently, a severe vulnerability, CVE-2025-48709, has been discovered in the BMC Control-M version 9.0.21.300. This issue is particularly concerning because it potentially exposes sensitive user data, including clear text passwords, when Control-M Server establishes a database connection. Given that this could lead to system compromise or data leakage, it is of utmost importance that system administrators and cybersecurity personnel take immediate action to mitigate this risk.
This vulnerability is of particular concern to organizations utilizing BMC Control-M for their workload automation needs. The vulnerability’s severity is underscored by its high CVSS score of 9.8, indicating that it poses a critical risk that demands immediate attention.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-48709
Severity: Critical (9.8)
Attack Vector: Local
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: None
Impact: System compromise or data leakage
Affected Products
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Product | Affected Versions
BMC Control-M | 9.0.21.300
How the Exploit Works
The vulnerability arises when the Control-M Server establishes a database connection. In this scenario, the Control-M Server frequently runs DBUStatus.exe, which then calls dbu_connection_details.vbs. The problem is, this operation is carried out with the username, password, database hostname, and port all written in cleartext. This sensitive information is then recorded in event and process logs in two separate locations, thereby making it accessible to potential attackers.
Conceptual Example Code
While an actual exploit would depend on many factors, including the specific configuration of the target system, a potential attack might involve the following steps:
1. An attacker gains local access to the system.
2. The attacker monitors the event and process logs for instances of DBUStatus.exe or dbu_connection_details.vbs being run.
3. Once such an instance is detected, the attacker reads the cleartext username, password, database hostname, and port from the logs.
# Monitor logs for instances of DBUStatus.exe or dbu_connection_details.vbs
tail -f /path/to/logfile | grep -E "DBUStatus.exe|dbu_connection_details.vbs"
# Once instance is detected, read the cleartext credentials
cat /path/to/logfile | grep -A 4 "DBUStatus.exe"This conceptual example serves to illustrate how an attacker might take advantage of this vulnerability, but it is not a step-by-step guide for performing an actual exploit.