VulnerabilityPublished 22 Jan 2026

CVE-2025-25051: AutomationDirect CLICK Programmable Logic Controller · CWE-256

Affects AutomationDirect CLICK Programmable Logic ControllerSource CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 6.1 Medium.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 14:05 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

6.1Medium

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 0.1% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 1% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:L/A:N

Attack Vector: Local
Attack Complexity: Low
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: High
Integrity: Low
Availability: None

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Local: The vulnerable component is not bound to the network stack and the attacker’s path is via read/write/execute capabilities. Either: the attacker exploits the vulnerability by accessing the target system locally (e.g., keyboard, console), or remotely (e.g., SSH); or the attacker relies on User Interaction by another person to perform actions required to exploit the vulnerability (e.g., tricking a legitimate user into opening a malicious document).
Attack Complexity: Low: Specialized access conditions or extenuating circumstances do not exist. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable component.
Privileges Required: Low: The attacker is authorized with (i.e., requires) privileges that provide basic user capabilities that could normally affect only settings and files owned by a user. Alternatively, an attacker with Low privileges may have the ability to cause an impact only to non-sensitive resources.
User Interaction: None: The vulnerable system can be exploited without any interaction from any user.
Scope: Unchanged: An exploited vulnerability can only affect resources managed by the same security authority. In this case, the vulnerable component and the impacted component are either the same, or both are managed by the same security authority.
Confidentiality: High: There is total loss of confidentiality, resulting in all resources within the impacted component being divulged to the attacker. Alternatively, access to only some restricted information is obtained, but the disclosed information presents a direct, serious impact.
Integrity: Low: Modification of data is possible, but the attacker does not have control over the consequence of a modification, or the amount of modification is limited. The data modification does not have a direct, serious impact on the impacted component.
Availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the impacted component.

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 22 Jan 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC or the CVSS exploit maturity reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
AutomationDirectCLICK Programmable Logic Controller	Affected =C0-0x =C0-1x =C2-x	Fixed in–

AI-suggested

Enforce strict network segmentation to isolate PLCs from general IT networks and limit access to trusted personnel only.
Implement robust access controls and monitor local and network access to PLC devices, ensuring that only authorized users with necessary privileges can interact with them.
Deploy intrusion detection and anomaly monitoring systems tailored for ICS environments to detect unusual device behavior or unauthorized access attempts.
Use VPNs or secure tunnels with strong authentication for remote access to PLCs to prevent interception or unauthorized access.
Regularly audit and update cryptographic configurations where possible, and prepare to apply vendor patches promptly once available.
Train ICS operators and security teams on the risks of this vulnerability and the importance of operational security practices.
Maintain an inventory of affected PLC versions and plan for hardware or firmware upgrades if patches are delayed or unavailable.

Description

CVE-2025-25051 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting AutomationDirect CLICK Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) in versions C0-0x, C0-1x, and C2-x. The vulnerability stems from improper cryptographic key management (CWE-256), allowing an attacker with limited privileges and local access to decrypt sensitive data and impersonate legitimate users or devices. Exploitation does not require user interaction but does require some level of privileged access. Successful exploitation could enable lateral movement within industrial networks, potentially compromising network resources. No known exploits are currently in the wild, and no patches have been released yet. The CVSS score is 6.1, reflecting high confidentiality impact but limited integrity and no availability impact. European organizations using these PLCs in critical infrastructure or manufacturing environments are at risk, especially in countries with significant industrial automation sectors. Mitigation requires strict network segmentation, limiting local access, and monitoring for anomalous device behavior until a patch is available.

Impact

For European organizations, especially those in manufacturing, energy, and critical infrastructure sectors, this vulnerability poses a significant risk. The ability to decrypt sensitive data and impersonate devices can lead to unauthorized access to industrial networks, enabling lateral movement and potential sabotage or espionage. Confidentiality breaches could expose operational details or intellectual property. Although the vulnerability does not directly impact availability, the indirect effects of compromised network resources could disrupt production lines or critical services. Given the widespread use of AutomationDirect CLICK PLCs in European industrial automation, the vulnerability could affect numerous facilities. The lack of patches increases the risk window, necessitating immediate attention to network security and access controls. Organizations with less mature ICS security practices are particularly vulnerable to exploitation attempts.

CWE-256Plaintext Storage of a Password (opens in a new tab)
Base weaknessLikelihood of exploit: HighOWASP Top 10 A06:2025: Insecure Design (opens in a new tab)
The product stores a password in plaintext within resources such as memory or files.
Architecture and Design
Avoid storing passwords in easily accessible locations.
Architecture and Design
Consider storing cryptographic hashes of passwords as an alternative to storing in plaintext.
A programmer might attempt to remedy the password management problem by obscuring the password with an encoding function, such as base 64 encoding, but this effort does not adequately protect the password because the encoding can be detected and decoded easily.
OWASP Cheat Sheets
Forgot Password (opens in a new tab)
Secure Design Principles (opens in a new tab)
OWASP ASVS 4.0.3
V2.7.5 (opens in a new tab)
V2.8.5 (opens in a new tab)
V2.8.4 (opens in a new tab)
From MITRE CWE, MITRE CAPEC and OWASP (Top 10, OpenCRE).

References

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 30 Jan 2026, 10:01 UTC

WeaknessesCWE-256

Technical details

References

Community reviews

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