CVE-2025-40795 in SIMATIC PCS neo
Summary
by MITRE • 09/09/2025
A vulnerability has been identified in SIMATIC PCS neo V4.1 (All versions), SIMATIC PCS neo V5.0 (All versions), SIMATIC PCS neo V6.0 (All versions < V6.0 SP1 Update 1), User Management Component (UMC) (All versions < V2.15.1.3). Affected products contain a stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability in the integrated UMC component. This could allow an unauthenticated remote attacker to execute arbitrary code or to cause a denial of service condition.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/09/2026
This vulnerability resides within the SIMATIC PCS neo industrial control system platform, specifically affecting the User Management Component that serves as a critical authentication and access control module. The affected versions encompass SIMATIC PCS neo V4.1 and V5.0 across all releases, alongside the UMC component versions prior to V2.15.1.3, indicating a widespread exposure across multiple product generations. The vulnerability manifests as a stack-based buffer overflow, a classic software flaw that occurs when more data is written to a fixed-length buffer than it can accommodate, leading to memory corruption. This particular flaw exists within the integrated User Management Component, which handles user authentication and authorization processes, making it a prime target for exploitation in industrial control environments where system integrity is paramount.
The technical exploitation of this buffer overflow vulnerability presents a significant risk to industrial operations as it enables unauthenticated remote code execution capabilities. Attackers can leverage this flaw to inject malicious code into the system memory, potentially gaining full control over the affected industrial control systems. The vulnerability's remote exploitability means that malicious actors do not require physical access or valid credentials to initiate attacks, making it particularly dangerous in operational technology environments where security perimeters may be less strictly enforced. The buffer overflow specifically targets the stack memory area, which can lead to unpredictable behavior including application crashes, system instability, or complete system compromise. This type of vulnerability is classified under CWE-121 as stack-based buffer overflow, representing a well-known and frequently exploited weakness in software development practices.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple system compromise to potentially disrupt critical industrial processes and manufacturing operations. In industrial control systems, such as those deployed in process automation, the ability to execute arbitrary code remotely could result in production halts, safety system compromises, or unauthorized modifications to process parameters. The denial of service condition that can be triggered alongside remote code execution represents a dual threat, as attackers could either render the system completely inoperable or gain persistent access to execute malicious commands. This vulnerability directly impacts the availability and integrity of industrial control systems, potentially leading to significant financial losses and safety risks in critical infrastructure environments where these systems operate.
Organizations utilizing affected SIMATIC PCS neo systems should immediately implement mitigations including applying the vendor-provided patches and updates that address the buffer overflow vulnerability in the UMC component. The recommended approach involves upgrading to UMC versions V2.15.1.3 or later, which contain the necessary code modifications to prevent the stack-based buffer overflow condition. Network segmentation and access controls should be enhanced to limit exposure of these industrial control systems to untrusted networks, implementing principles of least privilege and reducing attack surface. Monitoring and logging capabilities should be strengthened to detect potential exploitation attempts, including unusual authentication patterns or memory access anomalies. The vulnerability's classification under ATT&CK technique T1210 suggests that adversaries may leverage this weakness to establish persistence within industrial control environments, making continuous monitoring essential for early detection and response. Additionally, organizations should conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments of their industrial control system infrastructure to identify other potential attack vectors and ensure overall security posture remains robust against evolving threats in operational technology environments.