As of January 10, 2023, CISA will no longer be updating ICS security advisories for Siemens product vulnerabilities beyond the initial advisory. For the most up-to-date information on vulnerabilities in this advisory, please see Siemens’ ProductCERT Security Advisories (CERT Services | Services | Siemens Global).
1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- CVSS v4 6.3
- ATTENTION: Exploitable remotely/low attack complexity
- Vendor: Siemens
- Equipment: Apogee PXC and Talon TC Devices
- Vulnerability: Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor
2. RISK EVALUATION
Successful exploitation of this vulnerability could allow an attacker to download the device’s encrypted database file via BACnet.
3. TECHNICAL DETAILS
3.1 AFFECTED PRODUCTS
Siemens reports that the following products are affected:
- APOGEE PXC Series (BACnet): All versions
- APOGEE PXC Series (P2 Ethernet): All versions
- TALON TC Series (BACnet): All versions
3.2 VULNERABILITY OVERVIEW
3.2.1 EXPOSURE OF SENSITIVE INFORMATION TO AN UNAUTHORIZED ACTOR CWE-200
Affected devices connected to the network allow unrestricted access to sensitive files, such as databases. This could allow an attacker to download encrypted .db file containing passwords.
CVE-2025-40757 has been assigned to this vulnerability. A CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.3 has been calculated; the CVSS vector string is (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N).
A CVSS v4 score has also been calculated for CVE-2025-40757. A base score of 6.3 has been calculated; the CVSS vector string is (CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:L/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N).
3.3 BACKGROUND
- CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE SECTORS: Critical Manufacturing
- COUNTRIES/AREAS DEPLOYED: Worldwide
- COMPANY HEADQUARTERS LOCATION: Germany
3.4 RESEARCHER
Johnathan Law of PwC reported this vulnerability to Siemens. Siemens reported this vulnerability to CISA.
4. MITIGATIONS
Siemens has identified the following specific workarounds and mitigations users can apply to reduce risk:
- Ensure all three default passwords are changed, even if not in use.
- Ensure that passwords for all accounts are strong and hard to guess. Passwords can be 15 characters long and can contain upper case, lower case, numbers and special characters.
- Disable telnet (telnet is disabled by default).
As a general security measure, Siemens recommends protecting network access to devices with appropriate mechanisms. To operate the devices in a protected IT environment, Siemens recommends configuring the environment according to Siemens’ operational guidelines for industrial security and following recommendations in the product manuals.
Additional information on industrial security by Siemens can be found on the Siemens industrial security webpage
For more information see the associated Siemens security advisory SSA-916339 in HTML and CSAF.
CISA recommends users take defensive measures to minimize the risk of exploitation of this vulnerability, such as:
- Minimize network exposure for all control system devices and/or systems, ensuring they are not accessible from the internet.
- Locate control system networks and remote devices behind firewalls and isolating them from business networks.
- When remote access is required, use more secure methods, such as Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). Recognize VPNs may have vulnerabilities, should be updated to the most recent version available, and are only as secure as the connected devices.
CISA reminds organizations to perform proper impact analysis and risk assessment prior to deploying defensive measures.
CISA also provides a section for control systems security recommended practices on the ICS webpage on cisa.gov. Several CISA products detailing cyber defense best practices are available for reading and download, including Improving Industrial Control Systems Cybersecurity with Defense-in-Depth Strategies.
CISA encourages organizations to implement recommended cybersecurity strategies for proactive defense of ICS assets.
Additional mitigation guidance and recommended practices are publicly available on the ICS webpage at cisa.gov in the technical information paper, ICS-TIP-12-146-01B–Targeted Cyber Intrusion Detection and Mitigation Strategies.
Organizations observing suspected malicious activity should follow established internal procedures and report findings to CISA for tracking and correlation against other incidents.
CISA also recommends users take the following measures to protect themselves from social engineering attacks:
No known public exploitation specifically targeting this vulnerability has been reported to CISA at this time.
5. UPDATE HISTORY
- September 11, 2025: Initial Republication of Siemens ProductCERT SSA-916339