CVE-2025-52873 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting the Cognex In-Sight 2000 series, specifically version 5.x of the In-Sight Explorer software and In-Sight Camera Firmware. These devices expose a telnet-based management service on port 23, which is used for critical operations such as firmware upgrades and device reboots. Although these operations require authentication, the vulnerability arises from the improper enforcement of privilege boundaries. A user with protected privileges (not necessarily full administrative rights) can invoke the SetSystemConfig functionality to modify device properties, including sensitive network settings. This behavior contradicts the security model outlined in the user manual, effectively allowing privilege escalation or unauthorized configuration changes. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-732, which relates to incorrect permission assignment for critical resources. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 8.1, reflecting a high severity due to network attack vector (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), requiring privileges (PR:L) but no user interaction (UI:N), with unchanged scope (S:U), and impacting integrity and availability (I:H/A:H) but not confidentiality (C:N). No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches have been linked yet. The vulnerability could allow attackers to disrupt device operations or manipulate network configurations, potentially leading to denial of service or facilitating further attacks within industrial or manufacturing environments where these devices are deployed.

For European organizations, especially those in manufacturing, logistics, and industrial automation sectors that rely on Cognex In-Sight 2000 series devices for machine vision and quality control, this vulnerability poses significant risks. Unauthorized modification of device configurations can lead to operational disruptions, including device reboots or firmware tampering, which may halt production lines or degrade product quality. Since these devices often integrate into larger industrial control systems (ICS), exploitation could serve as a pivot point for attackers to infiltrate broader operational technology (OT) networks. The impact on availability and integrity is critical, potentially causing financial losses, safety hazards, and compliance violations under regulations such as the NIS Directive or GDPR if operational disruptions affect personal data processing. The lack of confidentiality impact reduces the risk of data leakage but does not diminish the threat to operational continuity. The vulnerability's exploitation does not require user interaction, increasing the risk of automated or remote attacks once initial access is obtained. Given the widespread use of Cognex products in European manufacturing hubs, the threat could have broad operational consequences.

European organizations should implement the following specific mitigations: 1) Immediately audit all Cognex In-Sight 2000 series devices to identify affected firmware versions (5.x) and isolate them from untrusted networks, especially the internet. 2) Restrict telnet access to trusted management networks only, preferably via network segmentation and firewall rules that block port 23 from unauthorized sources. 3) Employ strong authentication mechanisms and monitor for unusual configuration changes or telnet session activity. 4) Since no patches are currently available, consider disabling the telnet service if operationally feasible or replacing it with more secure management protocols such as SSH, if supported. 5) Implement strict role-based access controls (RBAC) to limit users with protected privileges and regularly review user permissions. 6) Deploy network intrusion detection/prevention systems (IDS/IPS) tuned to detect anomalous telnet commands or configuration changes. 7) Prepare incident response plans specific to ICS environments to quickly respond to potential exploitation. 8) Engage with Cognex support for updates on patches or firmware upgrades addressing this vulnerability and plan timely deployment once available.