CVE-2025-46737 in SEL-5037 Grid Configurator
Summary
by MITRE • 05/12/2025
SEL-5037 Grid Configurator contains an overly permissive Cross Origin Resource Sharing (CORS) configuration for a data gateway service in the application. This gateway service includes an API which is not properly configured to reject requests from unexpected sources.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/13/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-46737 affects the SEL-5037 Grid Configurator, a critical component in industrial automation and control systems used for configuring and managing power grid infrastructure. This application serves as a data gateway service that facilitates communication between various industrial devices and management systems within critical infrastructure environments. The flaw resides in the CORS configuration of the data gateway service, which implements an overly permissive cross-origin policy that fails to properly validate and restrict incoming requests from unauthorized sources.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper CORS policy configuration within the application's API endpoints. When a web application allows cross-origin requests without proper origin validation, it creates a pathway for malicious actors to craft requests that appear to originate from legitimate sources within the network. This misconfiguration enables attackers to bypass the same-origin policy that browsers enforce to prevent unauthorized cross-site scripting attacks. The vulnerability specifically impacts the data gateway service component that handles API communications, where the CORS policy accepts requests from any origin rather than restricting access to approved domains and IP addresses.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is particularly severe in industrial control environments where the SEL-5037 Grid Configurator operates. Attackers could potentially exploit this weakness to perform unauthorized data access, modification, or exfiltration from the grid configuration system. The implications extend beyond simple data theft, as this could enable attackers to manipulate critical infrastructure configurations, potentially leading to service disruptions, unauthorized system changes, or even physical security breaches in power grid operations. The vulnerability creates a persistent risk that could remain undetected for extended periods, especially in environments where network monitoring may not adequately detect anomalous API access patterns.
Mitigation strategies should focus on implementing strict CORS policy enforcement by configuring the application to explicitly define allowed origins, methods, and headers for API access. The system should reject all cross-origin requests that do not originate from pre-approved sources and implement proper authentication and authorization checks for all API endpoints. Organizations should conduct comprehensive network segmentation to limit access to the affected service and implement robust monitoring for unusual API access patterns. Additionally, regular security assessments should verify that CORS configurations are properly implemented and that no unauthorized origins are permitted access to critical data gateway services. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-942 which addresses overly permissive cross-origin resource sharing and represents a significant risk to industrial cybersecurity frameworks, particularly in environments governed by standards such as NIST SP 800-82 and IEC 62443 that emphasize secure network communication protocols in critical infrastructure settings.