CVE-2025-13148VulnerabilityPublished 11 Dec 2025

CVE-2025-13148: IBM Aspera Orchestrator · Unverified Password Change

Affects IBM Aspera OrchestratorSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 8.1 High.

Data as of 25 Oct 2026, 19:02 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

8.1High

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 19% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N

Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: High
Integrity: High
Availability: None

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Network: The vulnerable component is bound to the network stack and the set of possible attackers extends beyond the other options listed, up to and including the entire Internet. Such a vulnerability is often termed 'remotely exploitable' and can be thought of as an attack being exploitable at the protocol level one or more network hops away (e.g., across one or more routers).
Attack Complexity: Low: Specialized access conditions or extenuating circumstances do not exist. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable component.
Privileges Required: Low: The attacker is authorized with (i.e., requires) privileges that provide basic user capabilities that could normally affect only settings and files owned by a user. Alternatively, an attacker with Low privileges may have the ability to cause an impact only to non-sensitive resources.
User Interaction: None: The vulnerable system can be exploited without any interaction from any user.
Scope: Unchanged: An exploited vulnerability can only affect resources managed by the same security authority. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are either the same, or both are managed by the same security authority.
Confidentiality: High: There is total loss of confidentiality, resulting in all resources within the impacted component being divulged to the attacker. Alternatively, access to only some restricted information is obtained, but the disclosed information presents a direct, serious impact.
Integrity: High: There is a total loss of integrity, or a complete loss of protection. For example, the attacker is able to modify any/all files protected by the impacted component. Alternatively, only some files can be modified, but malicious modification would present a direct, serious consequence to the impacted component.
Availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the impacted component.

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 11 Dec 2025
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 2026-10-25.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
IBM Aspera Orchestrator	Affected =4.0.0	Fixed in–

AI-suggested

To mitigate CVE-2025-13148, European organizations should immediately restrict access to IBM Aspera Orchestrator interfaces to trusted personnel only, ideally through network segmentation and VPNs. Implement strict role-based access controls (RBAC) to limit authenticated users' ability to perform password changes or administrative actions. Monitor logs for unusual password change activities and set up alerts for anomalous behavior. Until an official patch is released, consider disabling password change functionality for non-administrative users if feasible. Employ multi-factor authentication (MFA) to reduce the risk of compromised credentials being exploited. Conduct thorough audits of user accounts and permissions regularly to detect unauthorized modifications. Engage with IBM support to obtain guidance on workarounds or upcoming patches. Finally, educate users about the risk and encourage reporting of suspicious account activities promptly.

Description

IBM Aspera Orchestrator 4.0.0 through 4.1.0 could allow could an authenticated user to change the password of another user without prior knowledge of that password.

Impact

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a serious threat to the confidentiality and integrity of sensitive data managed via IBM Aspera Orchestrator. Unauthorized password changes can lead to account takeovers, enabling attackers to access, modify, or exfiltrate critical files and orchestrate malicious workflows. This risk is particularly acute in sectors such as media production, financial services, and government agencies, where Aspera Orchestrator is commonly deployed for secure file transfers. Compromise of user accounts could facilitate lateral movement within networks, increasing the likelihood of broader breaches. The vulnerability's network accessibility and low exploitation complexity mean that attackers inside the network or with compromised credentials can quickly escalate privileges. Given the high reliance on IBM software in Europe, especially in countries with large enterprise IT sectors, the impact could be widespread if not addressed promptly. Additionally, regulatory frameworks like GDPR impose strict data protection requirements, and exploitation of this vulnerability could lead to significant compliance violations and financial penalties.

CWE-620Unverified Password Change (opens in a new tab)
Base weaknessOWASP Top 10 A07:2025: Authentication Failures (opens in a new tab)
When setting a new password for a user, the product does not require knowledge of the original password, or using another form of authentication.
Architecture and Design
When prompting for a password change, force the user to provide the original password in addition to the new password.
Architecture and Design
Do not use "forgotten password" functionality. But if you must, ensure that you are only providing information to the actual user, e.g. by using an email address or challenge question that the legitimate user already provided in the past; do not allow the current user to change this identity information until the…
OWASP Cheat Sheets
Choosing and Using Security Questions (opens in a new tab)
Forgot Password (opens in a new tab)
Credential Stuffing Prevention (opens in a new tab)
Authentication (opens in a new tab)
Transport Layer Protection (opens in a new tab)
OWASP ASVS 4.0.3
V2.1.6 (opens in a new tab)
V2.2.3 (opens in a new tab)
V2.1.5 (opens in a new tab)
From MITRE CWE, MITRE CAPEC and OWASP (Top 10, OpenCRE).

References

ibm.com/support/pages/node/7254434 (opens in a new tab)

Community reviews

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 11 Dec 2025, 20:19 UTC

WeaknessesCWE-620

Technical details

References

Community reviews

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