CVE-2025-14625 is a vulnerability classified under CWE-427 (Uncontrolled Search Path Element) found in Altera Quartus Prime Standard and Lite editions on Windows platforms, specifically within the Nios II Command Shell modules. The vulnerability arises because the software improperly handles the search path environment variable, allowing an attacker to influence the order in which executables or libraries are loaded. This can lead to search order hijacking, where a malicious actor places a crafted executable or DLL in a directory that is searched before the legitimate one, causing the system to execute the attacker's code instead of the intended binary. The affected versions span from 19.1 through 24.1 of Quartus Prime Standard and Lite. Exploitation requires local access with low privileges, user interaction, and has high attack complexity, meaning it is not trivial but feasible under certain conditions. The impact includes potential partial compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected system, as the attacker could execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the user running the Quartus Prime environment. No public exploits have been reported yet, and no patches are currently linked, indicating that users must rely on mitigation strategies until official fixes are released. The vulnerability is scored 5.4 on the CVSS 4.0 scale, reflecting medium severity. This vulnerability is particularly relevant to organizations involved in FPGA development and embedded systems design, as Quartus Prime is a widely used tool in these sectors.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-14625 can be significant, especially for those involved in semiconductor design, embedded systems, and hardware development using Altera Quartus Prime tools. Successful exploitation could allow attackers to execute arbitrary code within the development environment, potentially leading to intellectual property theft, insertion of malicious logic into FPGA designs, or disruption of development workflows. This could compromise product integrity and delay time-to-market. Confidentiality breaches could expose sensitive design files and proprietary information. Integrity impacts could result in corrupted or malicious hardware designs, which may propagate into production devices, causing downstream security and safety risks. Availability impacts might include denial of service to development environments, hindering engineering productivity. Given the requirement for local access and user interaction, the threat is more likely to arise from insider threats or through social engineering attacks targeting developers. The medium severity rating suggests a moderate risk level but one that should not be overlooked in critical infrastructure and high-tech manufacturing sectors prevalent in Europe.

1. Restrict user permissions to prevent unauthorized modification of environment variables, particularly the PATH variable used by Quartus Prime. 2. Implement strict controls on directories included in the search path to ensure only trusted locations are referenced. 3. Educate developers and users on the risks of executing untrusted code and the importance of verifying environment configurations before running Quartus Prime tools. 4. Use application whitelisting to prevent execution of unauthorized binaries in the development environment. 5. Isolate FPGA development environments from general-purpose user systems to reduce exposure to malware and unauthorized access. 6. Monitor and audit environment variable changes and command shell usage to detect suspicious activities. 7. Regularly update and patch Quartus Prime software once official fixes become available. 8. Employ endpoint protection solutions capable of detecting and blocking search order hijacking attempts. 9. Consider using containerized or virtualized environments for FPGA development to contain potential exploitation. 10. Establish incident response procedures specific to development environment compromises.