CVE-2025-53862 is a vulnerability identified in Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform 2, a widely used IT automation tool. The flaw involves three API endpoints that are accessible without proper authentication and return verbose responses containing sensitive system information. This exposure allows a malicious actor with network access and limited privileges (authentication with low privileges required) to retrieve potentially important data that should not be publicly accessible. The vulnerability does not allow modification or disruption of system integrity or availability but compromises confidentiality by leaking sensitive information. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 3.5, indicating a low-severity issue primarily due to the requirement for authenticated access with low privileges and the limited scope of impact (confidentiality only). The vulnerability affects the API layer of the platform, which is critical for automation workflows and system orchestration. Although no known exploits are currently in the wild and no patches are linked yet, the exposure of sensitive system information could aid attackers in reconnaissance or further exploitation steps if combined with other vulnerabilities or misconfigurations. The vulnerability was published on July 11, 2025, and is assigned by Red Hat, indicating vendor awareness and likely forthcoming remediation.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability lies mainly in the potential leakage of sensitive configuration or system information managed via the Ansible Automation Platform. Organizations relying on Ansible for automating IT infrastructure, application deployment, or configuration management could inadvertently expose internal details such as system architecture, credentials references, or environment specifics. This information disclosure could facilitate targeted attacks, social engineering, or privilege escalation attempts. While the direct impact on system availability or integrity is minimal, the confidentiality breach could undermine compliance with data protection regulations like GDPR if sensitive personal or operational data is indirectly exposed. Additionally, organizations in sectors with high automation reliance—such as finance, manufacturing, and telecommunications—may face increased risk due to the critical nature of their infrastructure and the potential cascading effects of information leakage. The requirement for low-level authentication reduces the risk from external unauthenticated attackers but does not eliminate insider threat or lateral movement risks within compromised networks.

To mitigate this vulnerability, European organizations should implement the following specific measures: 1) Restrict access to the Ansible Automation Platform API endpoints by enforcing strict network segmentation and firewall rules, limiting access only to trusted hosts and users. 2) Review and tighten authentication and authorization policies to ensure that only necessary users have access to the platform, and that privilege levels are minimized. 3) Monitor API access logs for unusual or unauthorized access patterns that could indicate exploitation attempts. 4) Apply any vendor-provided patches or updates promptly once available from Red Hat. 5) Conduct regular security assessments and penetration testing focused on the automation platform to identify and remediate information leakage or misconfigurations. 6) Employ additional application-layer security controls such as API gateways or web application firewalls (WAFs) to filter and control API traffic. 7) Educate administrators and users about the risks of exposing sensitive information and enforce secure handling of credentials and configuration data within automation workflows.