CVE-2025-41721 identifies a command injection vulnerability (CWE-77) in Sauter's modulo 6 devices, specifically the modu680-AS model. The flaw arises from improper neutralization of special elements in parameters passed to the openssl command during the process of adding a password-protected self-signed certificate. This improper sanitization allows a high-privileged remote attacker to influence command-line arguments, potentially injecting arbitrary commands. However, exploitation requires the attacker to already have high-level privileges on the device, and no user interaction is needed. The vulnerability impacts the integrity of the system by enabling unauthorized command execution, but does not affect confidentiality or availability. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 2.7, indicating low severity due to the limited impact and exploitation complexity. No public exploits have been reported, and no patches are currently linked, suggesting the vulnerability is newly disclosed. The affected product is used in building automation and industrial control environments, where secure certificate management is critical for device authentication and encrypted communications. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability could manipulate device configurations or execute arbitrary commands, potentially undermining system integrity and trustworthiness of cryptographic operations.

For European organizations, especially those operating critical infrastructure, industrial automation, or building management systems using Sauter modulo 6 devices, this vulnerability poses a risk to system integrity. An attacker with high privileges could execute arbitrary commands by injecting malicious parameters into the openssl command, potentially altering device configurations or security settings. Although confidentiality and availability are not directly impacted, integrity compromises could lead to unauthorized control or manipulation of device behavior, undermining operational reliability. The risk is heightened in environments where these devices are widely deployed and integrated into larger control networks. However, the requirement for high privileges limits the threat to insiders or attackers who have already breached initial defenses. The absence of known exploits reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the potential for future attacks. European organizations relying on these devices should consider the vulnerability in their risk assessments and incident response planning.

To mitigate CVE-2025-41721, organizations should implement strict input validation and sanitization on all parameters passed to system commands, particularly those involving certificate management. Access to the certificate addition functionality should be tightly controlled, limiting it to trusted administrators and employing multi-factor authentication to reduce the risk of privilege misuse. Network segmentation and device hardening can restrict remote access to these devices, minimizing exposure. Monitoring and logging command executions related to openssl and certificate operations can help detect anomalous activities indicative of exploitation attempts. Since no official patches are currently available, organizations should engage with the vendor for updates and consider temporary compensating controls such as disabling unnecessary certificate management features or restricting device network accessibility. Regular security audits and penetration testing focused on command injection vectors will help identify residual risks. Finally, educating administrators about the risks of command injection and secure certificate handling practices is essential.