CVE-2025-46358 is a high-severity vulnerability identified in Emerson's ValveLink SOLO product, which is used primarily for industrial valve management and diagnostics. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-693, which relates to the improper use or absence of a protection mechanism that should defend the product against directed attacks. Specifically, the vulnerability indicates that ValveLink SOLO either does not implement or incorrectly implements security controls that would normally prevent unauthorized or malicious actions. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 7.7, reflecting a high severity level. The vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N) reveals that the attack requires local access (AV:L), has low attack complexity (AC:L), requires no privileges (PR:N), and no user interaction (UI:N). The scope is unchanged (S:U), but the impact on confidentiality and integrity is high (C:H/I:H), while availability is unaffected (A:N). This suggests that an attacker with local access can exploit the vulnerability to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information and modify data or configurations, potentially undermining the integrity of the system. The vulnerability does not require authentication or user interaction, making it easier to exploit once local access is obtained. No known exploits are reported in the wild yet, and no patches have been published at the time of this report. The vulnerability was reserved on June 30, 2025, and published on July 10, 2025, indicating recent discovery and disclosure. Given the nature of ValveLink SOLO as an industrial control system (ICS) component, this vulnerability poses significant risks to operational technology environments, especially in sectors relying on precise valve control and monitoring such as oil and gas, chemical processing, and utilities.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-46358 could be substantial, particularly for those operating critical infrastructure and industrial environments where Emerson ValveLink SOLO is deployed. The high confidentiality and integrity impact means that attackers could potentially access sensitive operational data or alter valve configurations, leading to incorrect valve operations. This could disrupt industrial processes, cause safety hazards, or lead to production downtime. Although availability is not directly impacted, the indirect consequences of compromised integrity and confidentiality could result in operational interruptions or safety incidents. European industries such as energy production, water treatment, and manufacturing that rely on precise valve control are at risk. Additionally, regulatory frameworks like NIS2 and GDPR emphasize the protection of critical infrastructure and personal data, so exploitation of this vulnerability could lead to compliance violations and financial penalties. The requirement for local access somewhat limits the attack surface to insiders or attackers who have gained foothold within the network, but the lack of required privileges or user interaction lowers the barrier once local access is achieved. This elevates the risk of insider threats or lateral movement by attackers within industrial networks.

To mitigate CVE-2025-46358, European organizations should implement a multi-layered security approach tailored to industrial control environments. First, strictly enforce network segmentation and access controls to limit local access to ValveLink SOLO systems only to authorized personnel and trusted devices. Use network monitoring and anomaly detection tools specialized for ICS to identify unusual access patterns or configuration changes. Since no patches are currently available, organizations should engage with Emerson for updates and apply patches promptly once released. Employ host-based security controls on systems running ValveLink SOLO, such as application whitelisting and integrity monitoring, to detect unauthorized modifications. Conduct regular security audits and vulnerability assessments focused on ICS components. Additionally, implement strong physical security controls to prevent unauthorized physical access to devices. Train staff on insider threat awareness and secure operational procedures. Finally, consider deploying compensating controls such as multi-factor authentication for accessing ValveLink SOLO interfaces if supported, and maintain up-to-date incident response plans specific to ICS environments.