CVE-2025-46352 in CS5000 Fire Panel
Summary
by MITRE • 05/30/2025
The CS5000 Fire Panel is vulnerable due to a hard-coded password that runs on a VNC server and is visible as a string in the binary responsible for running VNC. This password cannot be altered, allowing anyone with knowledge of it to gain remote access to the panel. Such access could enable an attacker to operate the panel remotely, potentially putting the fire panel into a non-functional state and causing serious safety issues.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/30/2025
The CS5000 Fire Panel represents a critical cybersecurity vulnerability through the presence of a hard-coded password within its VNC server implementation. This flaw exists as a persistent string within the binary responsible for VNC operations, creating an inherent security weakness that cannot be remediated through standard configuration changes. The vulnerability manifests in the form of a static authentication credential that remains unchanged regardless of system updates or administrative interventions, fundamentally undermining the panel's security posture. The exposure of this password within the binary creates a situation where any attacker with knowledge of the credential can establish unauthorized remote access to the fire panel system, effectively bypassing all normal authentication mechanisms.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-798, which addresses the use of hard-coded credentials in software implementations. This flaw represents a fundamental design error in the security architecture of the fire panel, as it violates the principle of least privilege and creates an inherent backdoor that persists across system lifecycles. The VNC server component serves as the attack vector, with the hard-coded password acting as a permanent authentication token that enables remote access without requiring legitimate credentials. The binary exposure means that security researchers, malicious actors, or even authorized personnel with access to system files can extract this credential through simple reverse engineering techniques, making the vulnerability accessible to a broad range of threat actors.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access to encompass serious safety and security implications for fire protection systems. An attacker who gains access to the panel can manipulate fire detection and suppression mechanisms, potentially disabling critical safety functions or triggering false alarms that could lead to panic, resource misallocation, or delayed emergency responses. The ability to remotely operate the fire panel creates opportunities for both accidental and malicious disruption of fire safety operations, with potential consequences including system failure, false fire alarms, or complete disabling of fire detection capabilities. This vulnerability directly impacts the reliability and integrity of fire protection systems, which are designed to operate without human intervention during emergencies.
The implications of this vulnerability align with several ATT&CK tactics including initial access through valid accounts and privilege escalation via service access. The hard-coded password effectively provides a legitimate access point that bypasses normal authentication controls, while the VNC server implementation allows for remote execution of commands against the fire panel. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including network segmentation to isolate fire panel systems from general network access, disabling VNC services where possible, and implementing network monitoring to detect unauthorized VNC connections. Additionally, the vulnerability highlights the importance of secure software development practices and the need for regular security assessments of embedded systems. The lack of ability to modify the hard-coded password means that the only permanent solution requires either a firmware update from the vendor or complete replacement of the affected system components, making this a particularly challenging vulnerability to address in operational environments where fire safety systems must remain functional at all times.