CVE-2025-11697 is a vulnerability classified under CWE-200 (Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor) affecting Rockwell Automation's Studio 5000® Simulation Interface versions 2.02 and earlier. The flaw exists in the API handling of file paths, where path traversal sequences can be used by any local Windows user to extract arbitrary files from the system. This unauthorized file extraction leads to the ability to place and execute scripts with Administrator privileges upon the next system reboot. The vulnerability requires no prior authentication and no user interaction, making it highly exploitable by any user with local access. The CVSS 4.0 score of 8.9 reflects the high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, as well as the ease of exploitation and the scope of affected systems. The vulnerability could allow attackers to gain full control over affected systems, potentially disrupting industrial control processes or causing data breaches. Although no public exploits are known yet, the risk is significant due to the elevated privileges obtained and the critical nature of the affected software in industrial environments. The vulnerability highlights the importance of securing local access and validating API inputs to prevent path traversal attacks in industrial automation software.

The impact of CVE-2025-11697 on European organizations is substantial, particularly for those in manufacturing, energy, and critical infrastructure sectors that rely heavily on Rockwell Automation's Studio 5000® Simulation Interface for industrial control and simulation. Unauthorized local users could leverage this vulnerability to execute malicious scripts with Administrator privileges, leading to potential disruption of industrial processes, unauthorized data access, and system compromise. This could result in operational downtime, safety hazards, intellectual property theft, and regulatory non-compliance. Given the critical role of industrial automation in European economies, exploitation could have cascading effects on supply chains and national infrastructure resilience. The vulnerability's local access requirement somewhat limits remote exploitation but does not diminish the threat in environments where multiple users share systems or where insider threats exist. The absence of known exploits in the wild provides a window for proactive mitigation, but the high severity score underscores the urgency for European organizations to act swiftly.

To mitigate CVE-2025-11697, European organizations should implement the following specific measures: 1) Immediately restrict local access to systems running Studio 5000® Simulation Interface to trusted personnel only, employing strict user account management and least privilege principles. 2) Monitor and audit file system access and API usage logs for unusual path traversal attempts or unauthorized file extraction activities. 3) Deploy application whitelisting and endpoint protection solutions to detect and block unauthorized script execution, especially those triggered on system reboot. 4) Isolate critical industrial control systems from general-purpose IT networks to reduce the risk of local exploitation by unauthorized users. 5) Engage with Rockwell Automation for timely updates and patches; apply security patches as soon as they become available. 6) Conduct regular security awareness training for staff with access to affected systems to recognize and report suspicious activities. 7) Implement robust backup and recovery procedures to minimize operational impact in case of compromise. These targeted actions go beyond generic advice by focusing on controlling local access, monitoring API misuse, and preparing for rapid incident response in industrial environments.