Overview

CVE-2025-2629 is a DLL Hijacking vulnerability that exists in NI LabVIEW due to an uncontrolled search path when loading NI Error Reporting. The vulnerability affects NI LabVIEW 2025 Q1 and prior versions. This is a significant risk because if successfully exploited, this vulnerability could result in arbitrary code execution by an attacker, potentially leading to system compromise or data leakage.

Vulnerability Summary

CVE ID: CVE-2025-2629
Severity: High (7.3 CVSS Score)
Attack Vector: Local
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: Required
Impact: Arbitrary code execution, potential system compromise and data leakage

Affected Products

Product | Affected Versions

NI LabVIEW | 2025 Q1 and prior

How the Exploit Works

The vulnerability arises from an uncontrolled search path in NI LabVIEW when loading NI Error Reporting. An attacker can exploit this weakness by inserting a malicious DLL into this uncontrolled search path. When the system attempts to load the NI Error Reporting, it inadvertently triggers the malicious DLL, leading to arbitrary code execution.

Conceptual Example Code

Here is a conceptual example of how the vulnerability might be exploited. This pseudocode represents the action of an attacker placing a malicious DLL into the uncontrolled search path:

def exploit(target_path):
malicious_dll = 'path_to_malicious_dll'
target_dll_path = target_path + '\\NI_Error_Reporting.dll'
# Copy the malicious DLL to the target path
shutil.copy(malicious_dll, target_dll_path)
# Target path where NI LabVIEW loads the DLL
target_path = 'path_to_uncontrolled_search_path'
exploit(target_path)

This code takes advantage of the fact that the system does not properly control the search path for DLLs, allowing the attacker to execute their own code.

Recommendations for Mitigation

To mitigate this vulnerability, users are advised to apply the vendor patch as soon as it is available. In the meantime, using a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can provide temporary protection by detecting and blocking attempts to exploit this vulnerability.