CVE-2025-54754: Unauthenticated Attackers Can Retrieve Hard-Coded Passwords

Overview

The cybersecurity community is buzzing with the latest vulnerability, CVE-2025-54754, that could potentially jeopardize Cognex devices. This vulnerability allows attackers with adjacent access to retrieve a hard-coded password embedded in publicly available software. The real cause for concern is that this password can then be exploited to decrypt sensitive network traffic. These devices are commonly used in various sectors, and the potential for data leakage or system compromise is considerable.
The severity of this vulnerability is compounded by the fact that an attacker does not need to be authenticated to exploit it, making it a significant threat to any organization utilizing the affected software. Due to the high-risk nature of this vulnerability, it’s crucial to understand its mechanics and possible mitigation strategies.

Vulnerability Summary

CVE ID: CVE-2025-54754
Severity: High – CVSS Score 8.0
Attack Vector: Adjacent network
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Impact: System compromise, data leakage

Affected Products

Product | Affected Versions

Cognex Devices | All versions with publicly available software

How the Exploit Works

The exploit takes advantage of the hard-coded password embedded in the publicly available software of the Cognex devices. An attacker with adjacent access can retrieve this password and then use it to decrypt sensitive network traffic. The vulnerability is especially severe because it does not require any form of authentication or user interaction, making it easy for an unauthenticated attacker with network proximity to compromise the system or leak data.

Conceptual Example Code

The following is a conceptual example of how the vulnerability might be exploited:

# Assuming the attacker has adjacent network access and has identified the target device
# The attacker uses a tool to sniff network traffic
$ sudo tcpdump -i eth0 -w output.pcap
# The attacker filters the captured traffic to find packets containing the hardcoded password
$ tshark -r output.pcap -Y 'http contains "password"'
# The attacker extracts the hardcoded password and uses it to decrypt sensitive network traffic
$ openssl enc -d -aes-256-cbc -in encrypted_traffic.pcap -out decrypted_traffic.txt -k extracted_password

This conceptual example is simplified and actual exploitation may involve additional steps or variations based on the specific network environment and Cognex device configuration.

Recommended Mitigation

Users are advised to apply the vendor patch as soon as it’s available. In the meantime, implementing a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can serve as temporary mitigation. These tools can help detect and block attempts to exploit this vulnerability. However, these are just temporary solutions and applying the vendor patch is the most effective way to secure your systems against this vulnerability.