CVE-2025-49186 is a medium-severity vulnerability identified in all versions of SICK AG's product 'SICK Field Analytics'. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-79, which corresponds to improper neutralization of input during web page generation, commonly known as Cross-site Scripting (XSS). However, the description highlights a specific security weakness: the product does not implement sufficient controls to prevent multiple failed authentication attempts within a short time frame, making it susceptible to brute-force attacks. This suggests a combination of issues—while the CWE-79 classification points to XSS risks, the primary concern described is the lack of rate limiting or lockout mechanisms on authentication attempts. From a technical perspective, the vulnerability allows an unauthenticated remote attacker to repeatedly attempt login without restriction (AV:N - network attack vector, AC:L - low attack complexity, PR:N - no privileges required, UI:N - no user interaction needed). The CVSS vector indicates that the impact is limited to confidentiality (C:L), with no impact on integrity or availability. This means that an attacker could potentially gain unauthorized access to sensitive information by successfully brute forcing credentials, but would not be able to alter data or disrupt service directly through this vulnerability. The absence of user interaction and the network attack vector make exploitation feasible remotely and without user involvement. The lack of patch links and no known exploits in the wild suggest that this vulnerability is newly disclosed and not yet actively exploited. However, the presence of this vulnerability in all versions of the product indicates a systemic design flaw that requires immediate attention from users and administrators of SICK Field Analytics. In summary, CVE-2025-49186 represents a medium-risk security issue where insufficient brute-force protection combined with potential XSS vulnerabilities could lead to unauthorized data disclosure in industrial analytics environments.

For European organizations using SICK Field Analytics, this vulnerability poses a risk of unauthorized access to sensitive operational data collected and analyzed by the product. Given that SICK AG is a German company specializing in industrial sensors and analytics, many manufacturing, logistics, and automation firms across Europe likely deploy this product. Successful exploitation could lead to leakage of confidential process data, potentially exposing intellectual property or operational insights to attackers. Although the vulnerability does not directly impact data integrity or system availability, the confidentiality breach could facilitate further targeted attacks or industrial espionage. The risk is particularly significant for critical infrastructure sectors such as automotive manufacturing, energy production, and supply chain management, where SICK Field Analytics might be integrated into monitoring and control systems. Unauthorized access could undermine trust in data accuracy and compromise compliance with data protection regulations like GDPR if personal or sensitive data is involved. Additionally, the lack of brute-force protections could allow attackers to gain access to privileged accounts, escalating the threat beyond initial data exposure. Given the medium severity and the ease of remote exploitation without authentication or user interaction, European organizations should consider this vulnerability a notable security concern, especially in environments where SICK Field Analytics is exposed to external networks or insufficiently segmented internal networks.

1. Implement immediate network-level protections such as firewall rules or intrusion prevention systems (IPS) to restrict access to SICK Field Analytics interfaces only to trusted IP addresses or VPN users. 2. Deploy rate limiting or account lockout mechanisms at the authentication layer to prevent brute-force attempts. If the product does not support this natively, consider placing it behind a reverse proxy or web application firewall (WAF) that can enforce these controls. 3. Conduct a thorough review and hardening of authentication credentials, enforcing strong password policies and multi-factor authentication (MFA) where possible. 4. Monitor authentication logs for repeated failed login attempts and configure alerting to detect potential brute-force activity early. 5. Since no patches are currently available, engage with SICK AG support to obtain timelines for remediation and request interim mitigation guidance. 6. Review and sanitize all user input fields and web interfaces to mitigate potential XSS attack vectors, even if not explicitly detailed in the description, as CWE-79 classification suggests. 7. Segment the network to isolate SICK Field Analytics systems from critical production networks and sensitive data repositories to limit lateral movement in case of compromise. 8. Regularly update and audit all related software components and dependencies to reduce exposure to other vulnerabilities.