CVE-2025-9572 is a medium-severity authorization bypass vulnerability affecting The Foreman, an open-source lifecycle management tool for servers. The issue resides in the GraphQL API endpoint of Foreman version 1.22.0, where access control mechanisms are improperly implemented. Unlike the REST API, which enforces strict permission checks, the GraphQL API fails to filter metadata queries according to user privileges. This flaw allows authenticated users with low privileges to query and obtain sensitive metadata that should be restricted. The vulnerability arises from insufficient authorization validation in the GraphQL resolver logic, leading to an exposure of information beyond the user's assigned scope. The vulnerability does not impact data integrity or availability but compromises confidentiality by leaking sensitive internal metadata. Exploitation requires network access and valid low-privilege credentials but no user interaction. No public exploits have been reported as of the publication date. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 5.0, reflecting network attack vector, low attack complexity, low privileges required, no user interaction, and partial confidentiality impact with scope change. The flaw was reserved in August 2025 and published in February 2026. No official patches or mitigation links are provided yet, but users should monitor vendor advisories for updates.

The primary impact of CVE-2025-9572 is unauthorized disclosure of sensitive metadata within Foreman environments. Organizations relying on Foreman 1.22.0 for infrastructure lifecycle management may inadvertently expose internal configuration details, system inventory data, or other metadata to users who should not have access. This exposure can aid attackers in reconnaissance, facilitating further targeted attacks or privilege escalation. While the vulnerability does not allow modification or disruption of services, the confidentiality breach can undermine organizational security posture and compliance with data protection regulations. The scope of affected systems includes any deployment using the vulnerable Foreman version with GraphQL API enabled. Since Foreman is widely used in enterprise and cloud environments for managing physical and virtual servers, the risk spans multiple sectors including IT service providers, cloud operators, and large enterprises. The lack of known exploits reduces immediate risk, but the ease of exploitation and network accessibility make timely remediation important to prevent future abuse.

To mitigate CVE-2025-9572, organizations should: 1) Upgrade Foreman to a version where this vulnerability is patched once the vendor releases an update. 2) Temporarily disable or restrict access to the GraphQL API endpoint if feasible, especially for low-privileged users, to prevent unauthorized queries. 3) Implement network-level access controls such as firewall rules or API gateways to limit exposure of the GraphQL endpoint to trusted users and networks only. 4) Audit user privileges and minimize the number of users with access to Foreman’s APIs, enforcing least privilege principles. 5) Monitor Foreman logs for unusual GraphQL query patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. 6) Stay informed through official Foreman and Red Hat security advisories for patches and further guidance. 7) Consider additional compensating controls such as Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to detect and block suspicious GraphQL queries. These steps go beyond generic advice by focusing on immediate containment and access restriction while awaiting vendor patches.