CVE-2025-55116 is a critical stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability (CWE-121) found in the BMC Control-M/Agent software, specifically affecting versions 9.0.18 through 9.0.20 and potentially earlier unsupported versions. Control-M/Agent is a widely used workload automation and job scheduling agent deployed on servers to manage batch jobs and workflows. The vulnerability arises from improper handling of input data within the agent, leading to a stack buffer overflow condition. This overflow can be exploited by an attacker who already has local access to the system running the Control-M/Agent, enabling them to escalate their privileges locally. The CVSS 4.0 base score of 9.3 reflects the critical nature of this vulnerability, with a local attack vector (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), no user interaction required (UI:N), and requiring low privileges (PR:L). The vulnerability impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability at a high level, with a broad scope affecting the entire system (SC:H), and the potential for significant impact on system integrity and availability (SI:H, SA:H). Although no public exploits are currently known in the wild, the severity and nature of the vulnerability make it a prime candidate for exploitation once a proof-of-concept is developed. Since the affected versions are out of support, organizations may face challenges in obtaining official patches, increasing the risk exposure. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in environments where Control-M/Agent is deployed on critical infrastructure or servers with sensitive data, as an attacker gaining elevated privileges could compromise the entire system or pivot to other network assets.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-55116 can be substantial, especially in sectors relying heavily on automated batch processing and job scheduling such as finance, manufacturing, telecommunications, and government services. Successful exploitation allows an attacker with local access to escalate privileges, potentially leading to full system compromise, data exfiltration, or disruption of critical business processes. This could result in operational downtime, regulatory non-compliance (e.g., GDPR breaches if personal data is exposed), financial losses, and reputational damage. The fact that the vulnerability affects out-of-support versions means many organizations may still be running these legacy versions due to compatibility or upgrade constraints, increasing their risk. Moreover, the high severity and ease of exploitation (low complexity, no user interaction) mean that insider threats or attackers who have gained initial footholds via other means could leverage this vulnerability to deepen their access. The lack of known exploits currently provides a window for proactive mitigation, but the risk of future exploitation remains high.

Given the absence of official patches for out-of-support versions, European organizations should prioritize the following mitigation strategies: 1) Upgrade or migrate to a supported and patched version of BMC Control-M/Agent as soon as possible to eliminate the vulnerability. 2) If upgrading is not immediately feasible, implement strict access controls to limit local access to systems running the vulnerable agent, including enforcing least privilege principles and using multi-factor authentication for administrative access. 3) Employ application whitelisting and endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions to monitor and block suspicious activities indicative of exploitation attempts. 4) Conduct thorough audits of systems running Control-M/Agent to identify and isolate vulnerable instances. 5) Use network segmentation to restrict lateral movement from compromised hosts. 6) Monitor logs and system behavior for signs of privilege escalation or anomalous activity. 7) Engage with BMC support or security advisories for any unofficial patches or workarounds. 8) Educate internal teams about the risks of running unsupported software and the importance of timely patching and upgrades.