CVE-2025-41652 is a critical vulnerability affecting the Weidmueller IE-SW-VL05M-5TX industrial Ethernet switch. The core issue stems from the use of a weak cryptographic hash function, specifically MD5, in the device's authentication mechanism. This weakness falls under CWE-328, which refers to the use of weak hashes that can be exploited to undermine security. The vulnerability allows an unauthenticated remote attacker to bypass authentication controls by either brute-forcing credentials or exploiting MD5 collision attacks to forge valid authentication hashes. Since MD5 is known to be vulnerable to collision attacks, an attacker can generate different inputs that produce the same hash, effectively allowing them to impersonate legitimate users without knowing the actual credentials. The vulnerability has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8, indicating critical severity with network attack vector, no required privileges or user interaction, and high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Exploitation could lead to full compromise of the device, enabling attackers to manipulate network traffic, disrupt industrial control processes, or pivot into other parts of the network. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the ease of exploitation and the critical nature of the device in industrial environments make this a significant threat. The affected version is listed as 0.0.0, which likely indicates all current versions up to the patch (if any) are vulnerable. The lack of available patches at the time of publication increases the urgency for mitigation.

For European organizations, particularly those operating in industrial sectors such as manufacturing, energy, transportation, and utilities, this vulnerability poses a severe risk. The Weidmueller IE-SW-VL05M-5TX is an industrial Ethernet switch commonly deployed in automation and control networks. Successful exploitation could allow attackers to gain unauthorized access to critical network infrastructure, leading to potential data breaches, operational disruptions, and safety hazards. Confidentiality could be compromised by intercepting sensitive operational data, integrity could be undermined by injecting malicious commands or altering control signals, and availability could be affected by disrupting network communications. Given the critical role of industrial control systems in European critical infrastructure, exploitation could have cascading effects on supply chains and public safety. Additionally, the vulnerability's remote and unauthenticated nature increases the risk of widespread attacks, especially if attackers develop automated tools leveraging MD5 collision techniques. The absence of known exploits currently provides a window for proactive defense, but the critical CVSS score underscores the urgency for European organizations to act swiftly.

1. Immediate network segmentation: Isolate Weidmueller IE-SW-VL05M-5TX devices from general IT networks and restrict access to trusted management stations only. 2. Implement strict access control lists (ACLs) and firewall rules to limit remote access to the affected devices, ideally allowing management only from secure, internal networks or VPNs. 3. Monitor network traffic for unusual authentication attempts or brute-force patterns targeting these devices. 4. Replace or upgrade devices where possible to models that do not rely on weak cryptographic hashes or that have patched this vulnerability. 5. If patching is not yet available, consider deploying compensating controls such as multi-factor authentication (MFA) at the network level or using external authentication proxies that enforce stronger authentication mechanisms. 6. Conduct regular security audits and vulnerability scans focusing on industrial control systems to detect and remediate similar weaknesses. 7. Engage with Weidmueller support and subscribe to their security advisories to obtain patches or firmware updates as soon as they become available. 8. Train operational technology (OT) staff on recognizing and responding to signs of exploitation related to authentication bypasses.