CVE-2025-54497

Executive Summary

CVE-2025-54497 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, intended for authenticated operations such as firmware upgrades and device reboots. However, a user with protected privileges can invoke the SetSerialPort function to modify device properties (e.g., serial interface settings), contradicting the security model described in the user manual. This flaw allows an authenticated attacker to alter hardware-level configurations, potentially disrupting production lines, disabling safety interlocks, or enabling further lateral movement within an OT network.

The vulnerability is classified as High Severity (CVSS 8.1) due to the high impact on integrity and availability, combined with low attack complexity over the network. No public exploit code or proof-of-concept is currently available, but the attack surface is significant given the widespread deployment of Cognex vision systems in industrial automation.

Supply Chain & Package Security

This vulnerability is not related to NPM, PyPI, Go, or Ruby packages. It affects proprietary Cognex firmware and software, which are distributed directly by the vendor or through authorized integrators. Organizations should verify the integrity of firmware downloads and ensure that only signed, official releases are deployed.

CVSS Breakdown & Threat Level

Threat Level: High. An authenticated attacker with low privileges can modify critical device settings, leading to operational disruption or physical damage in industrial environments.

Deep Dive & Mechanics

The vulnerability resides in the telnet-based management interface of Cognex In-Sight devices. The service is designed to require authentication for all management operations, including firmware upgrades and reboots. However, the SetSerialPort function does not properly enforce the authorization model. A user with "protected privileges" (a role intended for limited configuration changes) can invoke this function to modify serial interface parameters such as baud rate, parity, stop bits, and flow control.

Root Cause: The access control check for SetSerialPort is incorrectly mapped to a lower privilege level than intended. The user manual states that only "administrator" level users should be able to modify hardware properties, but the implementation allows "protected" users to do so.

Attack Scenario:

1. An attacker gains access to the telnet service (port 23) with valid credentials for a "protected" user account.
2. The attacker sends a crafted SetSerialPort command to change serial settings (e.g., baud rate to an invalid value).
3. The device's serial communication with downstream equipment (e.g., PLCs, robots) is disrupted, causing production stoppage or data corruption.
4. The attacker may also disable serial-based safety functions, leading to physical hazards.

Vulnerable vs. Patched Code

Since no patch is available, a code-level comparison cannot be provided. However, the vulnerable logic can be inferred:

Vulnerable (pseudocode):

def handle_telnet_command(user, cmd):
    if cmd.type == "SetSerialPort":
        # Incorrect: allows any authenticated user with protected privileges
        if user.role in ["protected", "administrator"]:
            execute_set_serial_port(cmd.params)
        else:
            deny()

Expected (patched) behavior:

def handle_telnet_command(user, cmd):
    if cmd.type == "SetSerialPort":
        # Correct: only administrator role should be allowed
        if user.role == "administrator":
            execute_set_serial_port(cmd.params)
        else:
            deny()

Exploitation & Lab Setup

Red Team (Exploitation)

Prerequisites:

• Network access to the Cognex device on port 23 (telnet).
• Valid credentials for a "protected" user account (e.g., default credentials or obtained via phishing).

Exploitation Steps:

1. Connect to the device via telnet:

   telnet <target_ip> 23
   

2. Authenticate with protected user credentials:

   login: protected_user
   password: ********
   

3. Send the SetSerialPort command to modify serial settings:

   SetSerialPort baud=1200 parity=even stopbits=2
   

4. Verify the change by querying the current serial configuration:

   GetSerialPort
   

Expected Outcome: The device's serial port settings are altered, potentially disrupting communication with connected equipment.

Blue Team (Detection & Prevention)

Detection:

• Monitor telnet (port 23) connections to Cognex devices. Alert on any SetSerialPort command issued by non-administrator users.
• Log all telnet session activity and correlate with user roles.

Prevention:

• Restrict network access to port 23 to only authorized management stations using firewall rules or VLAN segmentation.
• Disable telnet entirely if not required; use SSH or HTTPS-based management instead.
• Implement strict user role management: ensure only administrator accounts have permission to modify hardware settings.
• Monitor for unauthorized changes to serial port configurations via SNMP or syslog.

Indicators of Compromise (IOCs)

Detection Engineering

YARA Rule

rule CVE_2025_54497_Cognex_SetSerialPort {
    meta:
        description = "Detects SetSerialPort command in Cognex telnet traffic"
        author = "Valters IT"
        date = "2025-01-01"
        reference = "CVE-2025-54497"
    strings:
        $cmd = "SetSerialPort" ascii wide nocase
    condition:
        $cmd
}

Sigma Rule

title: Cognex In-Sight Unauthorized SetSerialPort Command
id: 8a9b3c4d-5e6f-7a8b-9c0d-1e2f3a4b5c6d
status: experimental
description: Detects execution of SetSerialPort command by non-administrator users on Cognex In-Sight devices
author: Valters IT
date: 2025-01-01
logsource:
    category: application
    product: cognex_insight
detection:
    selection:
        Command: "SetSerialPort"
        UserRole: "protected"
    condition: selection
falsepositives:
    - Legitimate administrator actions (if role misconfigured)
level: high

Suricata Rule

alert tcp $HOME_NET any -> $EXTERNAL_NET 23 (msg:"CVE-2025-54497 Cognex In-Sight SetSerialPort Attempt"; flow:to_server,established; content:"SetSerialPort"; nocase; classtype:attempted-admin; sid:1000001; rev:1;)

Remediation & Mitigation

Immediate Actions:

1. Restrict Network Access: Block telnet (port 23) at the network perimeter. Allow only trusted management hosts via firewall rules.
2. Disable Telnet: If possible, disable the telnet service and use SSH or HTTPS for management.
3. Review User Roles: Audit all user accounts on Cognex devices. Ensure only administrator accounts have access to SetSerialPort and similar functions.
4. Monitor Logs: Enable detailed logging of telnet sessions and monitor for SetSerialPort commands.

Long-Term Fix:

• Contact Cognex support for a firmware patch that corrects the authorization logic.
• Implement a compensating control: use a network-based IPS to block SetSerialPort commands from non-administrator IP addresses.

Workaround:

• If telnet cannot be disabled, create a custom ACL on the device (if supported) to restrict SetSerialPort to specific source IPs.

Valters IT
Senior DevSecOps & Cyber Threat Intelligence Expert