CVE-2025-24351 is a critical vulnerability classified under CWE-78, which pertains to improper neutralization of special elements used in OS command execution, commonly known as OS Command Injection. This specific vulnerability affects the "Remote Logging" functionality of the web application component of Bosch Rexroth AG's ctrlX OS - Device Admin product, versions 1.20.0 and 2.6.0. The flaw allows a remote attacker with low-privileged authenticated access to execute arbitrary operating system commands with root privileges by sending a specially crafted HTTP request. The vulnerability arises because the application fails to properly sanitize or neutralize user-supplied input before incorporating it into OS-level commands, enabling command injection. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 8.8, indicating a high severity rating, with attack vector being network (remote), low attack complexity, requiring low privileges but no user interaction, and impacting confidentiality, integrity, and availability at a high level. Exploitation of this vulnerability could lead to full system compromise, unauthorized data access, data manipulation, or service disruption. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the presence of root-level command execution capability makes this a significant threat, especially in industrial and automation environments where ctrlX OS is deployed. The vulnerability was published on April 30, 2025, and is recognized by CISA, highlighting its importance in cybersecurity risk management.

For European organizations, particularly those in industrial automation, manufacturing, and critical infrastructure sectors using Bosch Rexroth's ctrlX OS, this vulnerability poses a substantial risk. Successful exploitation could lead to complete takeover of affected devices, enabling attackers to manipulate industrial processes, disrupt production lines, or exfiltrate sensitive operational data. Given the root-level access achievable, attackers could also pivot within internal networks, compromising additional systems and potentially causing widespread operational outages. This could result in significant financial losses, safety hazards, regulatory non-compliance, and damage to reputation. The impact is especially critical for sectors governed by stringent regulations such as the EU's NIS Directive and GDPR, where data breaches and service disruptions carry heavy penalties. Moreover, the vulnerability's presence in remote logging functionality, which is often exposed for monitoring purposes, increases the attack surface and likelihood of exploitation in distributed industrial environments common in Europe.

To mitigate this vulnerability effectively, European organizations should: 1) Immediately apply any patches or updates provided by Bosch Rexroth once available; 2) Restrict access to the ctrlX OS Device Admin web interface by implementing network segmentation and firewall rules to limit access only to trusted management networks; 3) Enforce strong authentication and authorization policies to minimize the number of users with access, and monitor for anomalous login attempts; 4) Employ Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to detect and block suspicious HTTP requests targeting the remote logging functionality; 5) Conduct regular security audits and penetration testing focused on the ctrlX OS environment to identify potential exploitation attempts; 6) Implement robust logging and alerting mechanisms to detect unusual command execution or privilege escalation activities; 7) Educate operational technology (OT) personnel about the risks and signs of exploitation to ensure rapid incident response; 8) Consider deploying intrusion detection/prevention systems (IDS/IPS) tailored for industrial control systems to monitor network traffic for exploitation patterns. These measures, combined with vendor patches, will significantly reduce the risk posed by this vulnerability.