CVE-2025-2241 is a vulnerability discovered in the Hive component of Red Hat's Multicluster Engine (MCE) and Advanced Cluster Management (ACM) platforms, specifically affecting version 1.2.4105-7735bf3. The flaw arises from insecure storage of VCenter credentials within the ClusterProvision Kubernetes custom resource object after provisioning a VSphere cluster. Normally, sensitive credentials are stored securely in Kubernetes Secrets, which have strict access controls. However, due to this vulnerability, credentials are duplicated or exposed in ClusterProvision objects that may have broader read permissions. This misconfiguration allows any user with read access to these ClusterProvision objects to retrieve VCenter credentials without needing elevated privileges or direct access to Kubernetes Secrets. The exposed credentials can then be used to gain unauthorized access to VCenter, the central management platform for VSphere environments, enabling attackers to manipulate cluster configurations, deploy malicious workloads, or escalate privileges within the infrastructure. The vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.2, reflecting high impact on confidentiality and integrity, with network attack vector, high attack complexity, low privileges required, no user interaction, and scope change. Although no active exploits are reported, the potential for privilege escalation and cluster compromise makes this a critical concern for organizations relying on MCE and ACM for multi-cluster Kubernetes and VSphere management. The vulnerability was published on March 17, 2025, and is tracked under CVE-2025-2241.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-2241 is significant, especially for enterprises and service providers using Red Hat's MCE and ACM to manage VSphere clusters. Unauthorized access to VCenter credentials can lead to full compromise of virtual infrastructure, allowing attackers to control virtual machines, manipulate workloads, and potentially disrupt critical business services. This can result in data breaches, service outages, and loss of operational integrity. The exposure of credentials in a Kubernetes resource object increases the attack surface, as more users or compromised accounts with read access to ClusterProvision objects can exploit this vulnerability. Given the widespread use of VMware and Red Hat technologies in Europe’s financial, manufacturing, and public sectors, the risk of lateral movement and privilege escalation within critical infrastructure is elevated. Additionally, the vulnerability could be leveraged in targeted attacks against strategic industries or government entities, amplifying geopolitical risks. The absence of known exploits currently provides a window for proactive defense, but the high CVSS score underscores the urgency for mitigation.

1. Immediately audit and restrict read access permissions to ClusterProvision Kubernetes objects, ensuring only trusted administrators have access. 2. Monitor Kubernetes API server logs and audit trails for unusual read activity on ClusterProvision resources. 3. Apply vendor patches or updates for MCE and ACM as soon as they become available; coordinate with Red Hat support for official remediation guidance. 4. Implement network segmentation and role-based access control (RBAC) to limit exposure of Kubernetes management interfaces. 5. Rotate VCenter credentials if exposure is suspected or confirmed, and enforce strong credential management policies. 6. Employ runtime security tools to detect anomalous cluster provisioning or credential access patterns. 7. Educate DevOps and security teams about the risk of storing sensitive information in non-secret Kubernetes objects and enforce best practices for secret management. 8. Consider deploying additional encryption or secret management solutions integrated with Kubernetes to prevent credential leakage in custom resources.