Overview
CVE-2025-52873 is a critical vulnerability found in Cognex In-Sight Explorer and In-Sight Camera Firmware. It exposes an unprotected telnet-based service on port 23, which can be exploited to perform unauthorized management operations such as firmware upgrades and device reboots. This vulnerability affects a wide range of industries utilizing these devices for quality inspection, identification, and guidance. The severity of this vulnerability stems from the potential for system compromise and data leakage, contradicting the security model proposed in the user manual.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-52873
Severity: High (8.1 CVSS Score)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: None
Impact: Potential system compromise or data leakage
Affected Products
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Product | Affected Versions
Cognex In-Sight Explorer | All versions prior to latest patch
Cognex In-Sight Camera Firmware | All versions prior to latest patch
How the Exploit Works
This vulnerability stems from the software’s exposure of a telnet-based service on port 23, which is used for management operations such as firmware upgrades and device reboots. Typically, these operations require authentication, but due to this vulnerability, an attacker with protected privileges can successfully invoke the SetSystemConfig functionality to modify relevant device properties such as network settings. This effectively contradicts the security model proposed in the user manual and opens the system to potential compromise or data leakage.
Conceptual Example Code
The exploit might look like this in a hypothetical scenario:
telnet target.example.com 23
Trying target.example.com...
Connected to target.example.com.
Escape character is '^]'.
login: protected_user
password: protected_password
$ SetSystemConfig network_settings new_network_settingsIn this example, the attacker uses the telnet command to connect to the target device. They then log in using protected credentials, either guessed, stolen, or obtained through other means, and invoke the SetSystemConfig command to modify the network settings.
Mitigation Guidance
To address this vulnerability, apply the vendor patch as soon as it is released. This is the most recommended solution as it directly fixes the vulnerability in the affected software. In the meantime, use a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or an Intrusion Detection System (IDS) as a temporary mitigation. These tools can monitor and block suspicious activity, thereby providing an additional layer of security. However, they cannot completely eliminate the risk posed by this vulnerability, so patching should not be delayed.
