CVE-2025-0162 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting IBM Aspera Shares versions 1.9.9 through 1.10.0 PL7. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-611, which pertains to Improper Restriction of XML External Entity (XXE) Reference. This vulnerability arises when the application improperly processes XML input, allowing an authenticated remote attacker to inject malicious XML entities. Exploitation of this flaw can lead to the disclosure of sensitive information stored on the server or potentially cause resource exhaustion by consuming memory, leading to denial of service conditions. The attack vector requires network access and low attack complexity, with no user interaction needed once authenticated. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.1, reflecting a high severity due to the high impact on confidentiality and limited impact on availability, with no impact on integrity. The vulnerability does not require user interaction but does require the attacker to have some level of authentication privileges, which limits the attack surface to users with valid credentials. No known public exploits are currently reported, and no official patches have been linked yet, indicating that organizations should prioritize monitoring and mitigation efforts. The vulnerability affects the XML parser configuration in IBM Aspera Shares, a product used for high-speed file transfer and collaboration, which often handles sensitive data in enterprise environments.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-0162 can be significant, especially for those relying on IBM Aspera Shares for secure file sharing and collaboration. The exposure of sensitive information through XXE attacks can lead to data breaches, violating GDPR requirements and potentially resulting in heavy fines and reputational damage. The memory consumption aspect could disrupt business operations by causing service outages or degraded performance, impacting availability of critical file transfer services. Since the vulnerability requires authentication, insider threats or compromised user credentials could be leveraged to exploit this flaw, increasing the risk in environments with weak access controls or insufficient monitoring. Organizations in sectors such as finance, healthcare, legal, and government, which often handle highly sensitive data, are particularly at risk. The lack of a patch at the time of disclosure means that organizations must rely on compensating controls to mitigate risk until a fix is available.

To mitigate CVE-2025-0162 effectively, European organizations should implement the following specific measures: 1) Restrict and monitor access to IBM Aspera Shares instances, ensuring that only authorized users with a legitimate need have authentication credentials. 2) Employ network segmentation and firewall rules to limit exposure of Aspera Shares servers to trusted networks and users. 3) Enable and review detailed logging and alerting on XML processing errors and unusual memory usage patterns to detect potential exploitation attempts early. 4) Apply strict input validation and sanitization on XML data where possible, or configure XML parsers to disable external entity processing if configurable. 5) Conduct regular credential audits and enforce strong authentication mechanisms, such as multi-factor authentication, to reduce the risk of credential compromise. 6) Prepare incident response plans specifically addressing XXE attack scenarios. 7) Monitor IBM security advisories closely for patches or updates and plan for rapid deployment once available. 8) Consider temporary alternative secure file transfer solutions if risk exposure is unacceptable until a patch is released.