CVE-2025-0255 in DevOps Deploy
Summary
by MITRE • 03/24/2025
HCL DevOps Deploy / HCL Launch could allow a remote privileged authenticated attacker to execute arbitrary commands on the system by sending specially crafted input containing special elements.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/24/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-0255 affects HCL DevOps Deploy and HCL Launch platforms, representing a critical security flaw that enables remote privilege escalation through command injection attacks. This vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation mechanisms within the application's processing pipeline, allowing authenticated attackers to manipulate system behavior by crafting malicious payloads containing special characters and control sequences. The flaw exists in the handling of user-supplied data within the deployment and launch processes, creating an attack surface where specially crafted inputs can bypass security controls and execute unintended system commands with elevated privileges. The vulnerability specifically impacts the authentication and authorization mechanisms of these DevOps platforms, which are widely used for continuous integration and deployment automation in enterprise environments.
Technical exploitation of CVE-2025-0255 relies on the application's failure to properly sanitize and validate user inputs before processing them within system execution contexts. Attackers can leverage this weakness by submitting malicious payloads containing command injection sequences such as semicolons, pipes, or other shell metacharacters that are not adequately filtered or escaped. The vulnerability manifests when the system processes user-defined variables, deployment scripts, or launch parameters without sufficient sanitization, allowing attackers to inject arbitrary commands that execute within the context of the application's privileges. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-77 and CWE-94 categories, which specifically address command injection and code injection flaws that enable attackers to execute unauthorized code on target systems. The attack vector requires authentication, meaning that only users with valid credentials can exploit this vulnerability, but once exploited, the attacker gains the privileges of the application process, potentially leading to full system compromise.
The operational impact of CVE-2025-0255 extends beyond simple command execution, as it can facilitate broader system compromise and data exfiltration within DevOps environments. Organizations using HCL DevOps Deploy and HCL Launch for automated deployment processes face significant risks, as attackers could potentially access source code repositories, modify deployment configurations, or gain access to sensitive production environments. The vulnerability affects the integrity and confidentiality of deployment pipelines, potentially allowing attackers to inject malicious code into production systems or manipulate deployment workflows to redirect traffic to compromised endpoints. This risk is particularly severe in continuous deployment environments where automated processes execute with elevated privileges, creating potential for widespread impact across multiple systems and services. The vulnerability also impacts the availability of services, as attackers could potentially disrupt deployment processes or cause system instability through command injection attacks.
Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including input validation and sanitization controls, regular security updates, and privileged access management protocols. The recommended approach involves deploying comprehensive input filtering mechanisms that properly escape or encode special characters in user-supplied data before processing. Security teams should also enforce principle of least privilege for DevOps accounts, implement network segmentation, and monitor for suspicious command execution patterns. Organizations should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments of their DevOps infrastructure and ensure that all instances of HCL DevOps Deploy and HCL Launch are updated to patched versions. Additionally, implementing web application firewalls and intrusion detection systems can help detect and prevent exploitation attempts. The mitigation strategy should also include regular security training for DevOps personnel and establishment of secure coding practices that prevent similar vulnerabilities from emerging in future development cycles. This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of input validation in automated deployment systems and aligns with ATT&CK techniques related to privilege escalation and command execution within enterprise environments.