VulnerabilityPublished 5 Sep 2025Updated 8 Sep 2025

CVE-2025-35451: PTZOptics PT12X-SE-xx-G3 · Use of Hard-coded Credentials

Affects PTZOptics PT12X-SE-xx-G3Source CVE Database V5

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 9.8 Critical.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 12:55 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score

9.8Critical

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

EPSS: 0.7% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 55% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.

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

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

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

Attack Vector: Network: The vulnerable component is bound to the network stack and the set of possible attackers extends beyond the other options listed, up to and including the entire Internet. Such a vulnerability is often termed 'remotely exploitable' and can be thought of as an attack being exploitable at the protocol level one or more network hops away (e.g., across one or more routers).
Attack Complexity: Low: Specialized access conditions or extenuating circumstances do not exist. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable component.
Privileges Required: None: The attacker is unauthorized prior to attack, and therefore does not require any access to settings or files to carry out an attack.
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: High: There is a total loss of integrity, or a complete loss of protection. For example, the attacker is able to modify any/all files protected by the impacted component. Alternatively, only some files can be modified, but malicious modification would present a direct, serious consequence to the impacted component.
Availability: High: There is total loss of availability, resulting in the attacker being able to fully deny access to resources in the impacted component; this loss is either sustained (while the attacker continues to deliver the attack) or persistent (the condition persists even after the attack has completed). Alternatively, the attacker has the ability to deny some availability, but the loss of availability presents a direct, serious consequence to the impacted component (e.g., the attacker cannot disrupt existing connections, but can prevent new connections; the attacker can repeatedly exploit a vulnerability that, in each instance of a successful attack, leaks a only small amount of memory, but after repeated exploitation causes a service to become completely unavailable).

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v3.1 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 5 Sep 2025
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
PTZOptics PT12X-SE-xx-G3	Affected =0	Fixed in–

AI-suggested

Since no patches or firmware updates are currently available to address the hard-coded credentials or disable remote access services, European organizations should implement compensating controls immediately. These include: 1) Network segmentation: Isolate PTZOptics cameras on dedicated VLANs or network segments with strict access controls to limit exposure to trusted management hosts only. 2) Firewall rules: Block inbound and outbound SSH and telnet traffic to and from the cameras at network perimeter and internal firewalls, allowing only authorized management IP addresses if remote access is necessary. 3) Network monitoring: Deploy intrusion detection/prevention systems (IDS/IPS) to detect and alert on suspicious SSH/telnet connection attempts or brute force activities targeting these devices. 4) Device replacement: Plan for the replacement of vulnerable cameras with models that allow credential management and service configuration. 5) Physical security: Ensure physical access to cameras is restricted to prevent local exploitation or tampering. 6) Vendor engagement: Engage with PTZOptics and ValueHD to demand firmware updates or patches that allow credential changes and service disabling. 7) Incident response readiness: Prepare for potential compromise by establishing monitoring and response procedures specific to camera devices. These mitigations go beyond generic advice by focusing on network-level controls and operational strategies tailored to the unique constraints of this vulnerability.

Description

PTZOptics and possibly other ValueHD-based pan-tilt-zoom cameras use hard-coded, default administrative credentials. The passwords can readily be cracked. Many cameras have SSH or telnet listening on all interfaces. The passwords cannot be changed by the user, nor can the SSH or telnet service be disabled by the user.

Impact

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a substantial risk, especially for those deploying PTZOptics PT12X-SE-xx-G3 cameras in sensitive environments such as corporate offices, government buildings, critical infrastructure, and public venues. Compromise of these cameras can lead to unauthorized surveillance, privacy violations, and exposure of sensitive video feeds. Attackers could also leverage compromised cameras as entry points into internal networks, facilitating further attacks such as data exfiltration, ransomware deployment, or disruption of operations. The persistent presence of SSH and telnet services with unchangeable credentials increases the likelihood of automated scanning and exploitation by threat actors. Given the criticality of video surveillance in security operations, any disruption or manipulation could degrade situational awareness and incident response capabilities. Additionally, the inability to disable these services or change credentials complicates incident response and remediation efforts, potentially leading to prolonged exposure and increased operational risk.

CWE-798Use of Hard-coded Credentials (opens in a new tab)
Base weaknessLikelihood of exploit: HighOWASP Top 10 A07:2025: Authentication Failures (opens in a new tab)
The product contains hard-coded credentials, such as a password or cryptographic key.
Architecture and Design
For outbound authentication: store passwords, keys, and other credentials outside of the code in a strongly-protected, encrypted configuration file or database that is protected from access by all outsiders, including other local users on the same system. Properly protect the key (CWE-320).
Architecture and Design
For inbound authentication: Rather than hard-code a default username and password, key, or other authentication credentials for first time logins, utilize a "first login" mode that requires the user to enter a unique strong password or key.
Architecture and Design
If the product must contain hard-coded credentials or they cannot be removed, perform access control checks and limit which entities can access the feature that requires the hard-coded credentials. For example, a feature might only be enabled through the system console instead of through a network connection.
OWASP Cheat Sheets
Key Management (opens in a new tab)
REST Security (opens in a new tab)
JSON Web Token for Java (opens in a new tab)
OWASP Authentication (opens in a new tab)
OWASP ASVS 4.0.3
V2.10.4 (opens in a new tab)
V6.4.1 (opens in a new tab)
V3.5.2 (opens in a new tab)
Attack patterns
Read Sensitive Constants Within an Executable (opens in a new tab)
Try Common or Default Usernames and Passwords (opens in a new tab)
From MITRE CWE, MITRE CAPEC and OWASP (Top 10, OpenCRE).

References

Community reviews

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 12 Sep 2025, 23:56 UTC

WeaknessesCWE-798

Technical details

References

Community reviews

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