CVE-2025-1997 in UrbanCode Deploy
Summary
by MITRE • 03/27/2025
IBM UrbanCode Deploy (UCD) 7.0 through 7.0.5.25, 7.1 through 7.1.2.21, 7.2 through 7.2.3.14, and 7.3 through 7.3.2.0 / IBM DevOps Deploy 8.0 through 8.0.1.4 and 8.1 through 8.1 could allow unauthorized access to other services or potential exposure of sensitive data due to missing authentication in its Agent Relay service.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/14/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-1997 affects IBM UrbanCode Deploy and IBM DevOps Deploy versions across multiple release streams, specifically impacting versions 7.0 through 7.0.5.25, 7.1 through 7.1.2.21, 7.2 through 7.2.3.14, 7.3 through 7.3.2.0, and DevOps Deploy 8.0 through 8.0.1.4 and 8.1 through 8.1. This security flaw resides within the Agent Relay service component of these deployment platforms, representing a critical authentication bypass vulnerability that could enable unauthorized access to sensitive system resources. The issue stems from inadequate authentication mechanisms within the Agent Relay service, creating a pathway for malicious actors to exploit the system without proper credentials.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability manifests through the Agent Relay service's failure to enforce proper authentication checks before granting access to underlying services or data repositories. This missing authentication layer allows attackers to potentially access other services running within the same network space or extract sensitive information that should be protected by proper access controls. The flaw operates at the service communication level where the Agent Relay component serves as an intermediary between agents and the main deployment server, creating a potential attack surface that bypasses normal authentication protocols. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-287 which specifically addresses improper authentication issues, and represents a significant weakness in the security architecture of these deployment platforms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access to encompass potential data exposure, service disruption, and compromise of deployment integrity. Attackers could leverage this flaw to gain access to deployment configurations, environment variables, application artifacts, and other sensitive data that flows through the Agent Relay service. The exposure could lead to unauthorized deployment operations, modification of deployment pipelines, or access to privileged system resources that should remain protected. Organizations using these versions of IBM UrbanCode Deploy or DevOps Deploy face significant risk of compromise, particularly in environments where these systems are integrated with other critical infrastructure components. This vulnerability directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts and privilege escalation through unauthorized access to systems.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including upgrading to patched versions of IBM UrbanCode Deploy or DevOps Deploy that address this authentication bypass issue. The recommended approach involves applying the vendor-provided security patches that properly implement authentication checks within the Agent Relay service. Network segmentation and access control measures should be enhanced to limit exposure of the Agent Relay service to unauthorized network segments. Additional mitigations include implementing network monitoring to detect anomalous traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, reviewing access logs for suspicious activities, and ensuring that only authorized personnel have access to the affected systems. Security teams should also consider implementing temporary network access restrictions to the Agent Relay service ports until full patches are deployed, as this vulnerability could enable attackers to escalate privileges and access additional system resources within the deployment environment.