CVE-2025-31953VulnerabilityPublished 24 Jul 2025

CVE-2025-31953: HCL Software iAutomate · Use of Hard-coded Credentials

Affects HCL Software iAutomateSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.1 High.

Data as of 25 Oct 2026, 19:02 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

7.1High

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

EPSS: 0.3% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 22% 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:L/A:N

Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: High
Integrity: Low
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: Low: Modification of data is possible, but the attacker does not have control over the consequence of a modification, or the amount of modification is limited. The data modification does not have a direct, serious impact on 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 24 Jul 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
HCL Software iAutomate	Affected =6.5.1	Fixed in–

AI-suggested

Organizations using HCL iAutomate version 6.5.1 should immediately assess their exposure to this vulnerability. Since no official patches are currently available, the following specific mitigations are recommended: 1) Conduct a thorough code and configuration audit to identify and remove or replace hard-coded credentials with secure credential management solutions such as vaults or environment variables. 2) Restrict network access to iAutomate management interfaces using network segmentation, firewalls, and VPNs to limit exposure to trusted administrators only. 3) Implement strict access controls and monitor privileged accounts for unusual activity, as exploitation requires some level of privilege. 4) Enable detailed logging and continuous monitoring to detect any unauthorized access attempts or suspicious behavior related to iAutomate. 5) Rotate any credentials found embedded in the software immediately and ensure that any secrets are stored securely outside the application code. 6) Engage with HCL Software support to obtain timelines for official patches or updates and apply them promptly once available. 7) Consider deploying application-layer firewalls or intrusion detection/prevention systems to detect exploitation attempts targeting this vulnerability. 8) Educate IT and security teams about the risks of hard-coded credentials and enforce secure development practices to prevent recurrence.

Description

HCL iAutomate includes hardcoded credentials which may result in potential exposure of confidential data if intercepted or accessed by unauthorized parties.

Impact

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability could be substantial. iAutomate is likely used in enterprise environments to automate critical IT and business processes, meaning that unauthorized access via hard-coded credentials could lead to exposure of confidential corporate data, intellectual property, and personal data protected under GDPR. The confidentiality impact is high, as attackers could extract sensitive information or credentials to further compromise internal systems. Integrity impact is moderate, as attackers might manipulate automated workflows or configurations, potentially causing incorrect or malicious operations. Availability is not directly affected by this vulnerability, but indirect effects could arise if automated processes are disrupted. Given the stringent data protection regulations in Europe, any data breach resulting from exploitation could lead to significant legal and financial consequences, including fines and reputational damage. Additionally, organizations in sectors such as finance, manufacturing, and critical infrastructure that rely heavily on automation tools like iAutomate may face operational risks. The vulnerability also poses a risk for supply chain attacks if attackers leverage compromised credentials to infiltrate partner or customer networks.

CWE-798Use of Hard-coded Credentials (opens in a new tab)
Base weaknessLikelihood of exploit: HighOWASP Top 10 A07:2025: Authentication Failures (opens in a new tab)
The product contains hard-coded credentials, such as a password or cryptographic key.
Architecture and Design
For outbound authentication: store passwords, keys, and other credentials outside of the code in a strongly-protected, encrypted configuration file or database that is protected from access by all outsiders, including other local users on the same system. Properly protect the key (CWE-320).
Architecture and Design
For inbound authentication: Rather than hard-code a default username and password, key, or other authentication credentials for first time logins, utilize a "first login" mode that requires the user to enter a unique strong password or key.
Architecture and Design
If the product must contain hard-coded credentials or they cannot be removed, perform access control checks and limit which entities can access the feature that requires the hard-coded credentials. For example, a feature might only be enabled through the system console instead of through a network connection.
OWASP Cheat Sheets
Key Management (opens in a new tab)
REST Security (opens in a new tab)
JSON Web Token for Java (opens in a new tab)
OWASP Authentication (opens in a new tab)
OWASP ASVS 4.0.3
V2.10.4 (opens in a new tab)
V6.4.1 (opens in a new tab)
V3.5.2 (opens in a new tab)
Attack patterns
Read Sensitive Constants Within an Executable (opens in a new tab)
Try Common or Default Usernames and Passwords (opens in a new tab)
From MITRE CWE, MITRE CAPEC and OWASP (Top 10, OpenCRE).

References

support.hcl-software.com/csm?id=kb_article&sysparm_article=KB0122646 (opens in a new tab)

Community reviews

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 1 Aug 2025, 01:06 UTC

WeaknessesCWE-798

Technical details

References

Community reviews

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