CVE-2025-7971

Vulnerability

Overview

CVE-2025-7971 is an improper input validation weakness (CWE-20) in Rockwell Automation's Studio 5000 Logix Designer. The software unsafely handles environment variables, failing to validate whether the specified file path points to a valid file. This flaw was discovered internally during routine testing and reported in the vendor's security advisory SD1734 [1].

Exploitation

Scenario

An attacker with low-privileged local access can manipulate the affected environment variable to point to a crafted path. If the path does not contain a valid file, the application will crash. However, the advisory notes that it may be possible to achieve arbitrary code execution without triggering a crash, suggesting that the unsafe handling can be leveraged to load malicious content [1]. The CVSS vector (CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:C) indicates the attack requires local access, high attack complexity, low privileges, and user interaction, but can lead to high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact.

Impact

Successful exploitation could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code in the context of the affected software. This could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data, modification of system configurations, or disruption of industrial control operations. The vulnerability is rated High with a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.5.

Mitigation

Rockwell Automation has released a corrected version (V37.00.02) that addresses the issue. Users are advised to update as soon as possible. If upgrading is not feasible, the vendor recommends applying security best practices such as restricting local access, using least-privilege accounts, and monitoring system behavior. The vulnerability is not listed in the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) database [1].