CVE-2025-54981 identifies a cryptographic weakness in Apache StreamPark, an open-source data streaming and processing platform maintained by the Apache Software Foundation. The vulnerability stems from the use of AES encryption in Electronic Codebook (ECB) mode, which is widely recognized as insecure due to its deterministic nature that reveals patterns in encrypted data. Additionally, the implementation relies on a weak random number generator for cryptographic operations, further undermining the security of encrypted sensitive data such as JSON Web Tokens (JWTs). JWT tokens are commonly used for authentication and authorization, and their compromise can lead to unauthorized access and privilege escalation. The affected versions range from 2.0.0 up to but not including 2.1.7. The Apache Software Foundation has released version 2.1.7 to remediate this issue by replacing ECB mode with a more secure cipher mode and improving randomness sources. Although no active exploitation has been reported, the vulnerability presents a significant risk because attackers who intercept encrypted tokens could decrypt or forge them, bypassing authentication controls. This vulnerability falls under CWE-327, which concerns the use of broken or risky cryptographic algorithms. The lack of a CVSS score necessitates a severity assessment based on the potential impact and exploitability. The vulnerability affects confidentiality and integrity of authentication data, requires no authentication to exploit, and impacts all deployments using the affected versions, indicating a broad scope. The weakness is relatively easy to exploit given the cryptographic flaws, making it a high-severity threat.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-54981 can be substantial. Apache StreamPark is used in data streaming and processing environments, often handling sensitive or regulated data. The exposure of JWT tokens or other encrypted authentication data could lead to unauthorized access to critical systems, data breaches, and potential compliance violations under regulations such as GDPR. This could result in financial penalties, reputational damage, and operational disruptions. Organizations relying on StreamPark for real-time data analytics or infrastructure orchestration may face risks of privilege escalation or lateral movement by attackers exploiting this vulnerability. The compromise of authentication tokens can also undermine trust in identity and access management systems, complicating incident response. Given the widespread use of Apache software in European enterprises and public sector entities, the vulnerability poses a risk to sectors including finance, telecommunications, manufacturing, and government services. The absence of known exploits does not diminish the urgency, as attackers could develop exploits based on the publicly available vulnerability details.

To mitigate CVE-2025-54981, organizations should immediately upgrade Apache StreamPark to version 2.1.7 or later, where the cryptographic weaknesses have been addressed. Beyond upgrading, organizations should audit their cryptographic configurations to ensure no legacy or custom implementations use ECB mode or weak random number generators. Implement cryptographic best practices by adopting authenticated encryption modes such as AES-GCM or AES-CBC with proper initialization vectors. Review and rotate JWT signing keys and tokens to invalidate any potentially compromised credentials. Enhance monitoring for anomalous authentication activities that could indicate token misuse. Conduct penetration testing focused on authentication mechanisms to verify the effectiveness of mitigations. For environments where immediate upgrade is not feasible, consider network-level protections such as encryption of data in transit and strict access controls to limit exposure. Finally, maintain awareness of any emerging exploit reports and apply security patches promptly.