CVE-2025-9178 in 1715-AENTR EtherNet IP Adapter
Summary
by MITRE • 10/14/2025
A denial-of-service security issue exists in the affected product and version. The security issue is caused through CIP communication using crafted payloads. The security issue could result in no CIP communication with 1715 EtherNet/IP Adapter.A restart is required to recover.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/14/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-9178 represents a critical denial-of-service condition affecting industrial communication systems that utilize CIP (Common Industrial Protocol) over EtherNet/IP networks. This security flaw specifically targets the 1715 EtherNet/IP Adapter, a widely deployed device in industrial automation environments that facilitates communication between programmable logic controllers and network infrastructure. The issue manifests when malicious actors craft specific payloads designed to exploit weaknesses in the CIP communication protocol implementation, leading to complete disruption of network connectivity and operational functionality.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through carefully constructed CIP packets that leverage protocol parsing inconsistencies or buffer handling flaws within the adapter's firmware. These crafted payloads are designed to trigger unexpected behavior in the communication stack, causing the device to enter a non-functional state where it ceases to process legitimate CIP communications. The vulnerability falls under CWE-400, which categorizes issues related to resource exhaustion or improper handling of input data that can lead to denial-of-service conditions. The specific nature of the flaw suggests weaknesses in input validation and protocol state management within the network adapter's communication processing engine.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple network disruption, as it can severely compromise industrial control systems and manufacturing processes that depend on continuous communication between field devices and control infrastructure. When the 1715 EtherNet/IP Adapter becomes unresponsive due to this vulnerability, production lines may halt, safety systems could fail, and process control operations might become inoperable until manual intervention occurs. The requirement for a complete system restart to recover from this condition creates additional operational risks, as it may result in unplanned downtime, production losses, and potential safety hazards in environments where continuous operation is critical. This vulnerability particularly affects environments following industrial standards such as IEC 61158 and IEC 61850 where EtherNet/IP communication is prevalent.
Organizations must implement immediate mitigations including network segmentation to isolate affected devices, deployment of intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious CIP traffic patterns, and regular firmware updates from the vendor to address the underlying protocol implementation flaws. Security controls should align with NIST Cybersecurity Framework guidelines for industrial control systems and may incorporate ATT&CK framework techniques such as T1499.004 for network disruption and T1566.001 for credential harvesting through network protocol manipulation. Device administrators should also consider implementing network access controls, disabling unused communication ports, and establishing robust monitoring procedures to detect anomalous CIP traffic that could indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability underscores the importance of maintaining secure communication protocols in industrial environments and highlights the need for continuous security assessment of critical infrastructure components.