CVE-2025-3395 in Automation Builder
Summary
by MITRE • 04/30/2025
Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource, Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information vulnerability in ABB Automation Builder.This issue affects Automation Builder: through 2.8.0.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/29/2025
The CVE-2025-3395 vulnerability represents a critical security flaw in ABB Automation Builder software version 2.8.0 and earlier, where improper permission assignment leads to unauthorized access to sensitive system resources. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-732 category, which specifically addresses Incorrect Permission Assignment for Critical Resource, making it a fundamental access control weakness that can severely compromise system integrity and data confidentiality. The flaw manifests when the software fails to properly enforce access controls on critical system components, allowing unauthorized users to gain elevated privileges or access restricted functionality that should be protected from general user interaction.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate permission validation mechanisms within the Automation Builder application's resource management system. When users interact with the software, the system does not properly verify whether the requesting entity has appropriate authorization levels to access specific resources or perform critical operations. This misconfiguration creates a path for privilege escalation attacks where malicious actors can exploit the flawed permission model to gain unauthorized access to system-critical components. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in industrial automation environments where ABB Automation Builder is commonly deployed, as it can potentially allow attackers to manipulate control systems or access sensitive operational data.
The operational impact of CVE-2025-3395 extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it can lead to complete system compromise within industrial control environments. Attackers who successfully exploit this vulnerability can potentially modify automation configurations, access confidential operational data, or even disrupt critical processes that rely on the Automation Builder platform. The cleartext storage of sensitive information component of this vulnerability further compounds the risk by storing authentication credentials, system configuration details, or operational parameters in an easily readable format without proper encryption. This creates additional attack vectors where adversaries can directly extract sensitive information from storage locations, making the overall security posture of systems using this software particularly weak.
Security professionals should implement multiple layers of mitigation strategies to address this vulnerability effectively. Immediate remediation efforts must focus on updating to the latest version of ABB Automation Builder where the permission assignment flaws have been corrected. Organizations should also implement network segmentation to limit access to systems running Automation Builder, ensuring that only authorized personnel can reach critical automation infrastructure. The implementation of principle of least privilege access controls, proper encryption of sensitive data at rest, and regular security audits of access controls should be mandatory practices. Additionally, monitoring systems should be deployed to detect unusual access patterns or privilege escalation attempts that might indicate exploitation of this vulnerability, aligning with the defensive strategies outlined in the MITRE ATT&CK framework for privilege escalation and credential access techniques.