CVE-2025-31700 is a high-severity buffer overflow vulnerability affecting certain Dahua IPC (Internet Protocol Camera) products, specifically models from the IPC-1XXX, IPC-2XXX, IPC-WX, and IPC-ECXX series with firmware built before April 16, 2025. The vulnerability arises from improper handling of specially crafted malicious packets sent to the device, which can trigger a buffer overflow condition. This flaw can be exploited remotely without authentication or user interaction, making it a network-exploitable vulnerability. Successful exploitation can lead to denial-of-service (DoS) conditions such as device crashes, or potentially remote code execution (RCE), allowing attackers to execute arbitrary code on the affected device. Some devices may have deployed mitigations like Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR), which complicates exploitation attempts for RCE, but DoS attacks remain feasible regardless. The vulnerability has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.1, reflecting its high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, combined with the network attack vector and no required privileges or user interaction. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, but the severity and ease of exploitation make this a significant threat to organizations using vulnerable Dahua IPC devices.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a critical risk to physical security infrastructure relying on Dahua IPC cameras. Exploitation could disrupt surveillance capabilities by causing device crashes or enable attackers to gain control over cameras, potentially leading to unauthorized surveillance, data leakage, or pivoting into internal networks. This could impact sectors such as critical infrastructure, transportation, retail, and government facilities where Dahua cameras are deployed. The loss of camera availability or compromise of video feeds undermines security monitoring and incident response. Furthermore, if attackers achieve RCE, they could use the compromised devices as footholds for lateral movement or launching further attacks within the network. Given the widespread use of Dahua IPC products in Europe, the vulnerability could affect a broad range of organizations, increasing the risk of targeted attacks or opportunistic exploitation.

Organizations should immediately identify and inventory all Dahua IPC devices, focusing on the affected model series and firmware versions built before April 16, 2025. Since no patch links are currently provided, organizations should monitor Dahua’s official channels for firmware updates addressing this vulnerability and apply them promptly once available. In the interim, network-level mitigations are critical: restrict network access to IPC devices by implementing strict firewall rules and network segmentation to isolate cameras from general IT networks and the internet. Employ intrusion detection/prevention systems (IDS/IPS) to monitor and block suspicious packets targeting these devices. Disable unnecessary services and protocols on the cameras to reduce attack surface. Additionally, consider deploying virtual patching via network security appliances to detect and block exploit attempts. Regularly audit device configurations and logs for signs of exploitation attempts. Finally, establish incident response plans specifically addressing potential camera compromise scenarios.