CVE-2025-1255 is a high-severity vulnerability identified in RTI Connext Professional, specifically within its Core Libraries. The vulnerability is classified as CWE-822, which refers to Untrusted Pointer Dereference. This type of flaw occurs when software dereferences a pointer that can be influenced by an attacker, leading to pointer manipulation. In this case, affected versions include 7.4.0 up to but not including 7.6.0, and 7.2.0 up to but not including 7.3.0.9. The vulnerability allows an attacker to manipulate pointers in memory, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution, memory corruption, or denial of service. The CVSS 4.0 base score is 8.3, indicating a high severity level. The vector string (CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N) shows that the attack can be performed remotely (Network), requires low attack complexity, partial attack type (AT:P) but no privileges or user interaction are needed. The vulnerability impacts confidentiality and availability highly, with no impact on integrity or scope changes. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches have been linked yet. RTI Connext Professional is a middleware product widely used in real-time distributed systems, including industrial automation, aerospace, defense, and automotive sectors, where reliable and secure data exchange is critical. The untrusted pointer dereference could allow attackers to disrupt communication or execute arbitrary code within these critical systems, posing significant risks to operational continuity and safety.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-1255 can be substantial, especially those operating in sectors relying on RTI Connext Professional for real-time data distribution such as manufacturing, automotive, aerospace, and defense industries. Exploitation could lead to denial of service or unauthorized code execution, potentially disrupting critical infrastructure and industrial control systems. This could result in operational downtime, safety hazards, and loss of sensitive data. Given the high confidentiality and availability impact, organizations could face regulatory scrutiny under GDPR if personal or sensitive data is compromised or if service disruptions affect customers. The lack of required privileges or user interaction makes this vulnerability particularly dangerous in automated or remote environments common in European industrial contexts. Additionally, the interconnected nature of European supply chains means that exploitation in one organization could cascade, affecting partners and customers.

Organizations should prioritize upgrading to RTI Connext Professional versions 7.6.0 or later, or 7.3.0.9 or later, as these versions presumably contain fixes for this vulnerability. Until patches are available, network segmentation should be enforced to isolate systems running vulnerable versions from untrusted networks. Implement strict access controls and monitoring on systems using RTI Connext Professional to detect anomalous pointer manipulation or memory corruption attempts. Employ runtime application self-protection (RASP) and memory protection technologies such as Control Flow Integrity (CFI) and Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR) to mitigate exploitation risks. Conduct thorough code audits and penetration testing focused on pointer handling in affected components. Additionally, maintain up-to-date incident response plans tailored to industrial control system compromises. Collaborate with RTI for timely updates and advisories, and subscribe to vulnerability intelligence feeds to monitor for emerging exploits.