VulnerabilityPublished 20 Aug 2025Updated 26 Feb 2026

CVE-2025-57789: Commvault CommCell · Storing Passwords in a Recoverable Format

Affects Commvault CommCellSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · public detection template (Nuclei) · CVSS 5.3 Medium.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 14:05 UTC

CVSS 4.0 base score

5.3Medium

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 1.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 68% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.

CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:L/VI:L/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: Low
Attack Requirements: None
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: None
Vulnerable system confidentiality: Low
Vulnerable system integrity: Low
Vulnerable system availability: None
Subsequent system confidentiality: None
Subsequent system integrity: None
Subsequent system availability: None

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Network: The vulnerable system is bound to the network stack and the set of possible attackers extends beyond the other options listed below, up to and including the entire Internet. Such a vulnerability is often termed “remotely exploitable” and can be thought of as an attack being exploitable at the protocol level one or more network hops away (e.g., across one or more routers).
Attack Complexity: Low: The attacker must take no measurable action to exploit the vulnerability. The attack requires no target-specific circumvention to exploit the vulnerability. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable system.
Attack Requirements: None: The successful attack does not depend on the deployment and execution conditions of the vulnerable system. The attacker can expect to be able to reach the vulnerability and execute the exploit under all or most instances of the vulnerability.
Privileges Required: Low: The attacker requires privileges that provide basic capabilities that are typically limited to settings and resources owned by a single low-privileged user. Alternatively, an attacker with Low privileges has the ability to access only non-sensitive resources.
User Interaction: None: The vulnerable system can be exploited without interaction from any human user, other than the attacker.
Vulnerable system confidentiality: Low: There is some loss of confidentiality. Access to some restricted information is obtained, but the attacker does not have control over what information is obtained, or the amount or kind of loss is limited. The information disclosure does not cause a direct, serious loss to the Vulnerable System.
Vulnerable system integrity: Low: Modification of data is possible, but the attacker does not have control over the consequence of a modification, or the amount of modification is limited. The data modification does not have a direct, serious impact to the Vulnerable System.
Vulnerable system availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the Vulnerable System.
Subsequent system confidentiality: None: There is no loss of confidentiality within the Subsequent System or all confidentiality impact is constrained to the Vulnerable System.
Subsequent system integrity: None: There is no loss of integrity within the Subsequent System or all integrity impact is constrained to the Vulnerable System.
Subsequent system availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the Subsequent System or all availability impact is constrained to the Vulnerable System.

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v4.0 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 20 Aug 2025
Detectable: evidence found.
nuclei template: Commvault Initial Administrator Login Process Vulnerability
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC or the CVSS exploit maturity reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
Commvault CommCell	Affected =11.32.0 =11.36.0	Fixed in–

AI-suggested

To mitigate this vulnerability, organizations should implement the following specific measures: 1) Restrict network access to the CommCell server during installation by using firewalls or network segmentation to limit exposure to trusted administrators only. 2) Complete the initial administrator login and configuration immediately after installation to close the vulnerable window. 3) Avoid deploying CommCell installations in environments accessible from untrusted networks until fully configured. 4) Monitor installation activities and network traffic for unauthorized access attempts during setup. 5) Use strong, unique credentials for the initial administrator account and change any default passwords immediately after first login. 6) Follow up with regular audits of backup system configurations and access controls. 7) Stay alert for vendor updates or patches addressing this vulnerability and apply them promptly once available. 8) Consider automating installation processes to minimize the time the system remains in the vulnerable state. These targeted actions go beyond generic advice by focusing on securing the installation phase and minimizing the attack surface during the critical setup window.

Description

During the brief window between installation and the first administrator login, remote attackers may exploit the default credential to gain admin control. This is limited to the setup phase, before any jobs have been configured.

Impact

If exploited, this vulnerability allows remote attackers to gain administrative control over Commvault CommCell environments during the installation phase. This could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive backup data, manipulation or deletion of backup jobs, and disruption of critical data protection processes. Organizations relying on Commvault for backup and recovery could face data integrity issues, potential data loss, and operational downtime. The limited exposure window reduces the likelihood of widespread exploitation, but targeted attacks during installation could compromise entire backup infrastructures. This risk is particularly significant for enterprises with remote or unattended installations where network access is not tightly controlled. The compromise of backup systems can have cascading effects on disaster recovery and business continuity, making this vulnerability a notable concern for IT security teams. The medium severity rating reflects these potential impacts balanced against the constrained attack window and absence of known exploits.

CWE-257Storing Passwords in a Recoverable Format (opens in a new tab)
Base weaknessLikelihood of exploit: HighOWASP Top 10 A04:2021: Insecure Design (opens in a new tab)
The storage of passwords in a recoverable format makes them subject to password reuse attacks by malicious users. In fact, it should be noted that recoverable encrypted passwords provide no significant benefit over plaintext passwords since they are subject not only to reuse by malicious attackers but also by malicious insiders. If a system administrator can recover a password directly, or use a brute force search on the available information, the administrator can use the password on other accounts.
Architecture and Design
Use strong, non-reversible encryption to protect stored passwords.
OWASP ASVS 4.0.3
V2.8.5 (opens in a new tab)
V2.8.4 (opens in a new tab)
V9.2.3 (opens in a new tab)
Attack patterns
Password Brute Forcing (opens in a new tab)
From MITRE CWE, MITRE CAPEC and OWASP (Top 10, OpenCRE).

References

documentation.commvault.com/securityadvisories/CV_2025_08_4.html (opens in a new tab)

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 27 Feb 2026, 03:52 UTC

Public exploits and detectiona Nuclei detection template

WeaknessesCWE-257

Technical details

References

Community reviews

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