CVE-2025-49164 is a medium-severity vulnerability identified in the Arris VIP1113 device, specifically affecting versions up to and including the firmware released by 2025-05-30 that utilize the KreaTV SDK. The core issue is the use of a hard-coded cryptographic key (cd1c2d78f2cba1f73ca7e697b4a485f49a8a7d0c8b0fdc9f51ced50f2530668a) embedded within the device's firmware for decrypting firmware updates or other protected data. This vulnerability falls under CWE-321, which concerns the use of hard-coded cryptographic keys that can be extracted by attackers, undermining the confidentiality of cryptographic operations. The presence of a static key means that if an attacker obtains this key, they can potentially decrypt firmware images, analyze or modify them, and possibly create malicious firmware that the device might accept as legitimate. The CVSS v3.1 score is 4.3 (medium), with the vector indicating local attack vector (AV:L), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), no user interaction (UI:N), and scope changed (S:C). The impact is limited to confidentiality (C:L), with no impact on integrity or availability. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches have been linked yet. This vulnerability primarily affects the confidentiality of the firmware content, potentially enabling reverse engineering or unauthorized firmware modifications if combined with other attack vectors. The local attack vector suggests that an attacker needs local access to the device or network to exploit this vulnerability, limiting remote exploitation possibilities.

For European organizations using Arris VIP1113 devices, particularly in sectors relying on secure firmware updates such as telecommunications, broadcasting, or managed service providers, this vulnerability could lead to exposure of firmware encryption keys. This exposure may allow attackers with local access to decrypt firmware images, facilitating reverse engineering and potentially enabling the creation of malicious firmware. While the direct impact on integrity and availability is not indicated, the ability to analyze or tamper with firmware could lead to subsequent attacks compromising device functionality or network security. Confidentiality breaches of firmware could also expose proprietary technology or security mechanisms. The local access requirement reduces the risk of widespread remote exploitation but does not eliminate insider threats or attacks from compromised internal networks. Organizations with distributed deployments or remote management should be cautious about physical and network access controls to these devices. The lack of patches increases the urgency for mitigating controls until a vendor fix is available.

1. Limit physical and network access to Arris VIP1113 devices to trusted personnel and secure network segments to reduce the risk of local exploitation. 2. Employ network segmentation and strict access control lists (ACLs) to restrict access to device management interfaces and firmware update mechanisms. 3. Monitor device behavior and firmware update processes for anomalies that could indicate tampering or unauthorized access. 4. Engage with Arris support channels to obtain information on forthcoming patches or firmware updates addressing this vulnerability and plan timely deployment. 5. If feasible, consider replacing affected devices with models not impacted by this vulnerability or that have updated cryptographic implementations. 6. Conduct regular security audits and penetration testing focusing on device firmware security and local access controls. 7. Educate staff on the risks of insider threats and the importance of safeguarding device access credentials and physical devices. 8. Implement cryptographic integrity checks and validation mechanisms at the network or management system level to detect unauthorized firmware modifications, compensating for the weak device-level cryptography.