CVE-2025-41240
Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:HSummary
CVE-2025-41240 is a critical-severity Files or Directories Accessible to External Parties (CWE-552) vulnerability. Its CVSS base score is 10.0 (Critical).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Data from Local System (T1005); ranked in the top 50% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to AC-3 (Access Enforcement) and AC-6 (Least Privilege) — see the control section below for these in your framework.
Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary
Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.
CVE-2025-41240 is a critical exposure vulnerability affecting three Bitnami Helm charts that mount Kubernetes Secrets at the predictable filesystem path /opt/bitnami/*/secrets inside the web server document root. The flaw occurs when the default setting usePasswordFiles=true is enabled, causing the secrets to be written as files accessible via HTTP or HTTPS requests. This configuration affects containerized deployments that expose the application externally.
A remote unauthenticated attacker can exploit the issue by directly requesting specific URLs under the document root to retrieve sensitive credentials such as passwords or keys. Because the path is predictable and no authentication is required, successful exploitation grants full access to the mounted secrets, potentially allowing complete compromise of the affected application and its connected services.
The referenced GitHub Security Advisory GHSA-wgg9-9qgw-529w provides details on the affected charts and remediation steps. The EPSS score has remained flat at 0.0132 with no material increase since disclosure.
OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2025-22486
Vulnerability Data
Three Bitnami Helm charts mount Kubernetes Secrets under a predictable path (/opt/bitnami/*/secrets) that is located within the web server document root. In affected versions, this can lead to unauthenticated access to sensitive credentials via HTTP/S. A remote attacker could retrieve…
more
these secrets by accessing specific URLs if the application is exposed externally. The issue affects deployments using the default value of usePasswordFiles=true, which mounts secrets as files into the container filesystem.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Control response
—
—
- 5 hardening rules · 2 OS baselines
V8.4.2
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI
AC-3 directly enforces authorization checks on access to files and directories, stopping unauthorized external exposure.
AC-6 limits granted privileges, reducing the chance that files or directories become reachable by external parties.
AC-4 enforces information flow rules that can block unauthorized external access to files or directories.
Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Enforcing least-privilege permissions and authorization policies directly prevents unauthorized file/directory exposure.
Logical segmentation and access protections stop external parties from reaching files that should remain internal.
Data-at-rest protections such as encryption or ACLs reduce the impact of unintended file exposure.
Hardened configuration baselines commonly include file-system permission settings that limit external access.
Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
By tracing and retrieving all copies of information stored on endpoint and portable devices, the control reduces the likelihood that files remain accessible outside the organization’s security perimeter.
Labeling information according to its sensitivity and specifying corresponding protection measures makes it less probable that files or directories containing sensitive content will be left accessible to external parties.
Including asset location and ownership in the inventory, combined with secure disposal procedures, decreases the chance that files or directories remain accessible to external parties after they should have been removed or restricted.
Solid perimeters and locked external access points stop files, devices, or directories containing sensitive data from being reachable by external parties who could otherwise walk in or break in.
Authorizing and logging the removal of storage media, disabling unused ports, and monitoring transfers limit the exposure of files or directories to external parties outside the organization’s controlled environment.
Segregating delivery/loading zones and controlling external doors prevents external parties from reaching directories or resources that should remain inaccessible.
Hardening callouts derived
Configuration rules from DISA STIG baselines that bear on weaknesses of the type cited by this CVE. Each rule is shown with the relationship its mapping actually records, against the CWE it was authored against. Derived via CVE→CWE over `controls_xwalks` (authoritative rows only; rows rated `none` are excluded).
Oracle Linux 8 (2 rules)
- V-248579 OL 8 must restrict access to the kernel message buffer. prevents CWE-552
- V-248597 There must be no "shosts.equiv" files on the OL 8 operating system. prevents CWE-552