CVE-2025-40764 is a high-severity vulnerability identified in Siemens Simcenter Femap versions prior to V2406.0003 and V2412.0002. The vulnerability is classified as CWE-125, an out-of-bounds read error occurring during the parsing of specially crafted BMP image files. This flaw allows an attacker to read memory outside the intended buffer boundaries, which can lead to the execution of arbitrary code within the context of the affected process. The vulnerability requires local access (Attack Vector: Local) and user interaction (UI:R), meaning the attacker must trick a user into opening or processing a malicious BMP file. No privileges are required to exploit this vulnerability (PR:N), and the scope remains unchanged (S:U). The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.8, reflecting high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Successful exploitation could result in full compromise of the application, potentially allowing code execution, data leakage, or denial of service. Siemens Simcenter Femap is a widely used engineering simulation software for finite element analysis, often employed in critical industrial and manufacturing sectors. The vulnerability stems from improper bounds checking during BMP file parsing, a common vector for memory corruption issues. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the high severity and ease of exploitation via user interaction make this a significant threat. The lack of available patches at the time of publication increases the urgency for mitigation.

For European organizations, especially those in manufacturing, automotive, aerospace, and industrial engineering sectors, this vulnerability poses a substantial risk. Siemens Simcenter Femap is commonly used in these industries for simulation and product design. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized code execution, potentially allowing attackers to manipulate simulation results, steal intellectual property, or disrupt engineering workflows. This could have downstream effects on product safety, compliance, and operational continuity. Given the critical nature of these industries in Europe’s economy and infrastructure, a successful attack could result in financial losses, reputational damage, and regulatory consequences. Additionally, the vulnerability could be leveraged as an initial foothold in targeted attacks or supply chain compromises, especially in environments where software updates are tightly controlled or delayed.

European organizations should implement the following specific measures: 1) Immediately identify and inventory all instances of Siemens Simcenter Femap in use, including version numbers. 2) Monitor Siemens’ official channels for patches or updates addressing CVE-2025-40764 and apply them promptly once available. 3) Until patches are released, restrict the processing of untrusted BMP files within the application environment. This can be done by disabling or limiting the import of BMP files or by using file integrity monitoring to detect suspicious files. 4) Educate users on the risks of opening unsolicited or unverified BMP files, emphasizing cautious handling of engineering data files received via email or external sources. 5) Employ endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools to monitor for anomalous behavior indicative of exploitation attempts, such as unexpected process executions or memory access violations. 6) Implement application whitelisting and least privilege principles to limit the potential impact of code execution within the Simcenter Femap process. 7) Conduct regular backups of critical engineering data to enable recovery in case of compromise. 8) Collaborate with Siemens support for guidance and incident response preparedness.