CVE-2025-23402 in Teamcenter Visualization
Summary
by MITRE • 03/11/2025
A vulnerability has been identified in Teamcenter Visualization V14.3 (All versions < V14.3.0.13), Teamcenter Visualization V2312 (All versions < V2312.0009), Teamcenter Visualization V2406 (All versions < V2406.0007), Teamcenter Visualization V2412 (All versions < V2412.0002), Tecnomatix Plant Simulation V2302 (All versions < V2302.0021), Tecnomatix Plant Simulation V2404 (All versions < V2404.0010). The affected applications contain a use-after-free vulnerability that could be triggered while parsing specially crafted WRL files. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to execute code in the context of the current process.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/14/2025
This vulnerability affects multiple Siemens Teamcenter and Tecnomatix visualization applications, representing a critical use-after-free flaw in the parsing of WRL (World file) format files. The vulnerability exists in versions prior to specific patch releases including V14.3.0.13, V2312.0009, V2406.0007, V2412.0002, V2302.0021, and V2404.0010, indicating a widespread issue across different product lines and release cycles. The flaw manifests specifically during the processing of maliciously crafted WRL files, which are commonly used for 3D model representation and visualization in industrial design environments. This vulnerability type maps directly to CWE-416, which describes the use of freed memory, and represents a fundamental memory safety issue that can lead to arbitrary code execution. The attack vector is particularly concerning as it requires no privileged access or authentication, making it exploitable through simple file delivery mechanisms.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when the application attempts to parse WRL files that contain maliciously constructed data structures, leading to memory deallocation followed by subsequent access to the freed memory locations. This type of vulnerability is classified as a remote code execution flaw under the ATT&CK framework, specifically mapping to technique T1203 (Exploitation for Client Execution) and potentially T1059 (Command and Scripting Interpreter) if successful exploitation leads to command execution. The memory corruption that results from the use-after-free condition can be leveraged to overwrite critical memory regions, potentially allowing an attacker to redirect program execution flow or inject malicious code into the running process. The impact extends beyond simple code execution as the affected applications are typically used in industrial environments where visualization of complex 3D models is essential, making these systems prime targets for supply chain attacks or targeted exploitation.
Organizations utilizing these visualization platforms face significant operational risks from this vulnerability, particularly in manufacturing, engineering, and product design environments where WRL files are commonly exchanged between teams and systems. The vulnerability's exploitation could lead to complete system compromise, allowing attackers to establish persistent access, escalate privileges, or use the compromised systems as launch points for further attacks within the network. Given that these applications are often used in collaborative design environments, the potential for lateral movement and data exfiltration increases significantly. The vulnerability affects not only individual user workstations but also enterprise systems where visualization servers process large volumes of 3D model data, potentially creating a single point of failure for entire design and simulation workflows. Security teams must consider the broader implications for industrial control systems and digital twin environments where these applications are deployed, as the exploitation could impact production processes and operational technology infrastructure.
Immediate mitigation strategies should focus on applying the vendor-provided patches and updates for all affected versions, as these releases contain the necessary memory management fixes to prevent the use-after-free conditions. Organizations should also implement network segmentation to limit access to visualization servers and enforce strict file validation policies for WRL file processing. Additional defensive measures include deploying application whitelisting solutions to restrict execution of unauthorized visualization tools, implementing file type restrictions in email gateways and web proxies, and establishing monitoring for unusual file processing activities. The vulnerability's nature as a memory corruption issue suggests that traditional antivirus solutions may not detect exploitation attempts, necessitating the deployment of endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions with memory inspection capabilities. Security teams should also consider conducting comprehensive vulnerability assessments across their industrial control systems to identify other potentially affected applications that may share similar parsing libraries or components, as this vulnerability type often indicates broader architectural issues that could affect related software within the same ecosystem.