CVE-2025-31702 is a vulnerability in certain Dahua IPC (Internet Protocol Camera) embedded products, specifically models from the IPC-1XXX, IPC-2XXX, IPC-WX, and IPC-ECXX series with firmware built prior to July 1, 2025. The root cause is an incorrect permission assignment (CWE-732) that allows a user with normal credentials to bypass access controls and retrieve sensitive system files normally restricted to admin users. Attackers exploit this by sending specially crafted HTTP requests to the device, enabling them to read data that should be protected. This unauthorized access can be leveraged to tamper with the administrator password, resulting in privilege escalation from a low-privilege user to an admin-level user. The vulnerability does not affect systems configured with only an admin account, as no lower privilege user exists to exploit the flaw. The CVSS v3.1 score is 6.8 (medium severity), reflecting a network attack vector with high impact on confidentiality and integrity but no impact on availability. The attack complexity is high, requiring some conditions to be met, and no user interaction is needed. No public exploits have been reported yet, but the vulnerability poses a significant risk to organizations relying on these Dahua IPC devices for security surveillance. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper permission assignment in embedded device firmware to prevent unauthorized privilege escalation.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a risk to the confidentiality and integrity of surveillance systems that use affected Dahua IPC models. Unauthorized access to admin-level functions could allow attackers to manipulate camera configurations, disable security monitoring, or exfiltrate sensitive video footage and system data. This could lead to breaches of physical security, privacy violations, and regulatory non-compliance (e.g., GDPR). Organizations in critical infrastructure sectors, government facilities, and enterprises relying on Dahua IPCs for perimeter security are particularly at risk. The ability to escalate privileges from a normal user to admin could enable persistent unauthorized access and lateral movement within networks. Although no availability impact is indicated, the compromise of surveillance integrity can have severe operational consequences. The medium severity score suggests a moderate but actionable threat, especially given the widespread use of Dahua products in Europe.

European organizations should immediately inventory their Dahua IPC devices to identify affected models and firmware versions. Since no patch links are currently provided, organizations should contact Dahua support for firmware updates or security advisories addressing CVE-2025-31702. In the interim, restrict network access to IPC devices by implementing network segmentation and firewall rules to limit HTTP access to trusted management hosts only. Enforce strong credential policies and monitor for unusual authentication attempts or privilege escalations. Disable or remove any non-admin user accounts if possible, as systems with only admin accounts are not vulnerable. Employ intrusion detection systems to flag suspicious HTTP requests targeting IPC devices. Regularly review device logs for signs of exploitation attempts. Finally, plan for timely firmware upgrades once patches become available and validate the security posture of all embedded devices in the environment.