CVE-2025-3937 is a high-severity vulnerability identified in the Tridium Niagara Framework and Niagara Enterprise Security products, which are widely used building automation and control platforms deployed across multiple operating systems including Windows, Linux, and QNX. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-916, which refers to the use of password hashing algorithms that require insufficient computational effort, making them susceptible to cryptanalysis attacks. Specifically, the affected versions of the Niagara Framework prior to 4.14.2, 4.15.1, and 4.10.11 use password hashing mechanisms that do not impose enough computational difficulty to deter attackers from performing offline brute-force or dictionary attacks against stored password hashes. This weakness allows an attacker with access to hashed credentials to potentially recover plaintext passwords more easily than intended, compromising the confidentiality of user credentials. The CVSS v3.1 score of 7.7 (High) reflects the network attack vector (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), requiring low privileges (PR:L), no user interaction (UI:N), and a scope change (S:C) with high impact on confidentiality (C:H) but no impact on integrity or availability (I:N, A:N). Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the vulnerability poses a significant risk due to the critical nature of the systems involved, which often control physical infrastructure and building management systems. Tridium recommends upgrading to patched versions 4.14.2u2, 4.15.u1, or 4.10u.11 to remediate this issue by employing stronger password hashing algorithms that increase computational effort and resist cryptanalysis.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability can be substantial, especially for those relying on the Niagara Framework for building automation, HVAC control, energy management, and critical infrastructure monitoring. Successful exploitation could lead to credential compromise, enabling attackers to gain unauthorized access to control systems. This could result in unauthorized manipulation of building systems, potential physical safety hazards, disruption of services, and exposure of sensitive operational data. Given the interconnected nature of building management systems and their integration with enterprise networks, attackers could pivot to other internal systems, amplifying the risk. The confidentiality breach of credentials undermines trust in the security of these systems and could lead to regulatory compliance issues under GDPR if personal data or operational data is exposed. Additionally, the lack of impact on integrity and availability in the CVSS score suggests that while direct system manipulation or denial of service is not the primary concern, the initial foothold gained through credential compromise could be leveraged for further attacks.

Organizations should prioritize upgrading affected Niagara Framework and Enterprise Security installations to the patched versions 4.14.2u2, 4.15.u1, or 4.10u.11 as recommended by Tridium. Beyond patching, organizations should audit and enforce strong password policies, including the use of complex passwords and regular password changes to reduce the risk of credential compromise. Implement network segmentation to isolate building management systems from general enterprise networks, limiting attacker lateral movement in case of compromise. Employ multi-factor authentication (MFA) where possible to add an additional layer of security beyond password hashes. Monitor authentication logs for unusual access patterns or repeated failed login attempts that may indicate brute-force or credential cracking attempts. Conduct regular security assessments and penetration testing focused on building automation systems to identify and remediate weaknesses proactively. Finally, ensure secure storage and handling of password hashes by verifying that updated versions use modern, computationally intensive hashing algorithms such as Argon2, bcrypt, or PBKDF2 with appropriate parameters.