CVE-2025-52493 is a security vulnerability affecting PagerDuty Runbook versions through 2025-06-12. The issue arises because stored secrets, such as API keys or credentials, are embedded directly in the webpage's Document Object Model (DOM) on the configuration page. While these secrets are visually masked as password fields in the user interface, the underlying HTML input elements contain the actual secret values in plaintext. An administrative user with access to the configuration page can exploit this by using browser developer tools to change the input field type attribute from "password" to "text", thereby revealing the secret values in cleartext. This vulnerability does not require any external attacker or privilege escalation beyond administrative access to the configuration interface. The flaw stems from insecure handling of sensitive data in the frontend code, exposing secrets unnecessarily in the client-side DOM. No patches or fixes are currently linked, and no known exploits have been reported in the wild. The vulnerability primarily impacts confidentiality, as secret leakage could lead to further compromise if secrets are reused or provide access to critical systems. Integrity and availability impacts are minimal unless secrets are leveraged for further attacks. The vulnerability is straightforward to exploit by any authorized administrative user, making insider threat or compromised admin accounts a significant risk vector. Given the nature of PagerDuty Runbook as an incident response and automation tool, exposure of secrets could undermine operational security and incident management processes.

For European organizations, the exposure of secrets in PagerDuty Runbook configuration pages could lead to unauthorized access to critical infrastructure, cloud services, or third-party integrations that rely on those secrets. Since PagerDuty is widely used for incident management and automation, leaked secrets could enable attackers or malicious insiders to disrupt incident response workflows, manipulate automation scripts, or gain footholds in connected environments. This could result in data breaches, service outages, or lateral movement within networks. The impact is particularly significant for organizations with stringent data protection requirements under GDPR, as secret leakage may constitute a data breach with regulatory consequences. Additionally, organizations in sectors such as finance, healthcare, and critical infrastructure, which often use PagerDuty for operational continuity, face heightened risks. The vulnerability requires administrative access, so the risk is amplified if admin credentials are compromised or if there is insufficient segregation of duties. The absence of known exploits reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the threat, especially in environments with multiple administrators or weak internal controls.

European organizations should immediately audit and restrict administrative access to PagerDuty Runbook configuration pages, ensuring only trusted personnel have such privileges. Implement strict role-based access controls (RBAC) and enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all administrative accounts to reduce the risk of credential compromise. Monitor administrative activities and access logs for unusual behavior that could indicate exploitation attempts. Until an official patch is released, consider minimizing the storage of sensitive secrets within PagerDuty Runbook or using external secret management solutions integrated securely with PagerDuty. Educate administrators about the risk of revealing secrets via browser developer tools and discourage sharing or storing secrets in the configuration UI. Once a patch or update is available from PagerDuty, apply it promptly. Additionally, rotate any secrets that may have been exposed to limit potential damage. Conduct regular security assessments of incident management tools and their configurations to detect similar issues proactively.