CVE-2025-41240 is a critical vulnerability affecting VMware's Bitnami Helm charts for the Appsmith application, specifically version 21.2.0. The vulnerability arises because three Bitnami Helm charts mount Kubernetes Secrets under a predictable filesystem path (/opt/bitnami/*/secrets) that resides within the web server's document root. When the default configuration parameter usePasswordFiles=true is enabled, these secrets are mounted as files inside the container's filesystem, making them accessible via HTTP/S requests. Since the secrets are exposed under the web server's document root, an unauthenticated remote attacker can retrieve sensitive credentials by simply accessing specific URLs if the application is exposed externally. This vulnerability is classified under CWE-552 (Files or Directories Accessible to External Parties) and has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 10.0, indicating critical severity. The attack vector is network-based (AV:N), requires no privileges (PR:N), no user interaction (UI:N), and impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability (C:H/I:H/A:H) with scope changed (S:C). No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, but the ease of exploitation combined with the critical impact makes this a high-risk issue for deployments using the affected Bitnami Helm charts in Kubernetes environments. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it exposes Kubernetes Secrets, which often contain sensitive information such as passwords, tokens, or keys, potentially leading to full system compromise or lateral movement within the infrastructure.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-41240 can be severe. Many enterprises and public sector entities in Europe utilize Kubernetes for container orchestration and may deploy applications using Bitnami Helm charts due to their ease of use and integration with VMware products. Exposure of Kubernetes Secrets can lead to unauthorized access to critical credentials, enabling attackers to compromise backend systems, databases, or cloud resources. This can result in data breaches involving personal data protected under GDPR, leading to regulatory fines and reputational damage. Additionally, the compromise of secrets can facilitate ransomware attacks, espionage, or disruption of essential services. Organizations with externally exposed Kubernetes dashboards or applications using the default Helm chart configurations are particularly at risk. The vulnerability's ability to be exploited without authentication or user interaction increases the likelihood of automated scanning and exploitation attempts, raising the threat level for European cloud and on-premises deployments.

To mitigate CVE-2025-41240, European organizations should take the following specific actions: 1) Immediately audit all Kubernetes deployments using Bitnami Helm charts for Appsmith and related applications to identify if usePasswordFiles=true is enabled and secrets are mounted under the web server document root. 2) Reconfigure Helm charts to disable usePasswordFiles or change the mount paths so that secrets are not accessible via the web server document root. 3) Implement strict network policies and ingress controls to restrict external access to Kubernetes applications and limit exposure of sensitive endpoints. 4) Employ Kubernetes RBAC policies to minimize secret access and rotate all exposed secrets promptly. 5) Monitor HTTP/S logs for suspicious access patterns targeting the /opt/bitnami/*/secrets paths. 6) Apply any patches or updates released by VMware or Bitnami as soon as they become available. 7) Consider using Kubernetes Secrets encryption at rest and integrating secret management solutions that do not rely on file mounts within web server roots. 8) Conduct penetration testing and vulnerability scanning focused on secret exposure to validate remediation effectiveness.