CVE-2025-22218: Understanding Information Disclosure Vulnerability in VMware Aria Operations for Logs

CVE-2025-22218 is an information disclosure vulnerability found in VMware Aria Operations for Logs. In this vulnerability, a threat actor with a 'View Only Admin' access level may be able to read the credentials of a VMware product that is integrated with VMware Aria Operations for Logs. This compromises the integrity of the software and leaves the users exposed to data breaches, unauthorized access, and various security exploits.

In this long-read post, we'll delve deep into the specifics of this vulnerability, provide code snippets to demonstrate the exploit, and share the links to the original resources and recommendations. Our goal is to educate the audience about the potential risks and spread awareness about the importance of keeping systems updated and patched.

What is VMware Aria Operations for Logs?

VMware Aria Operations for Logs is a popular log management solution designed to centralize, aggregate, and analyze log data originating from various VMware and non-VMware sources. It provides efficient and streamlined visibility into infrastructure, applications, and security events.

Details of CVE-2025-22218

Affected Products: VMware Aria Operations for Logs
Severity: Medium
Impact: Information Disclosure
CVSS v3 Base Score: 4.3 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N)
Vulnerability Type: CWE-200: Information Exposure

Exploit

In an affected VMware Aria Operations for Logs instance, an attacker with the 'View Only Admin' permission level can potentially exploit this vulnerability by connecting to the instance, navigating to the Settings page, and opening the REST API Configuration tab.

The following code snippet demonstrates the exploit

GET /vm-aria-logs/api/v1/rest-api-config/{productID}
Host: www.example.com
Authorization: Bearer [View_Only_Admin_Token]

In this example, the attacker makes a GET request to the REST API Configuration tab using the {productID} parameter and the 'View Only Admin' token. When the request is processed, the Aria Operations for Logs instance returns a JSON object containing sensitive information such as product credentials and API keys.

The returned JSON object may look like

{
  'productID': 'exampleProductID',
  'productName': 'exampleProductName',
  'apiKeys': {
    'key1': 'c87f42ab2a353b702a7e1d31d440423c',
    'key2': 'd882b1d1204137a56c755b17abf893d1'
  },
  'credentials': {
    'username': 'exampleUsername',
    'password': 'examplePassword'
  },
}

Upon obtaining these credentials and API keys, the attacker can access the affected VMware product and perform unauthorized actions, leading to data breaches and other potential exploits.

Recommendations

VMware has released a patch to address this vulnerability. Users are strongly advised to update their Aria Operations for Logs instances to the latest version.

Link to the official VMware advisory: https://www.vmware.com/security/advisories/VMSA-2025-001.html

Additionally, users should restrict access to the 'REST API Configuration' tab and enforce the need-to-know and least privilege principles when granting 'View Only Admin' permissions to users.

Conclusion

CVE-2025-22218 is a critical vulnerability in VMware Aria Operations for Logs. By exploiting this flaw, a threat actor can potentially gain access to sensitive information, such as credentials and API keys, of a VMware product integrated with the Aria Operations for Logs. It's crucial to update the software with the latest patches and enforce strict access control to prevent unauthorized access and information exposure.

Timeline

Published on: 01/30/2025 15:15:18 UTC