CVE-2025-52873 is a high-severity vulnerability (CVSS 8.1) 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 requires authentication for operations such as firmware upgrades and device reboots. However, the vulnerability arises because a user with protected privileges—who should have limited management capabilities—can invoke the SetSystemConfig functionality to modify critical device properties, including network settings. This behavior contradicts the security model outlined in the user manual, which presumably restricts such configuration changes to higher privilege levels. The underlying weakness corresponds to CWE-732, which relates to incorrect permission assignment for critical resources. Exploiting this flaw does not require user interaction, and the attack vector is network-based with low attack complexity. Although confidentiality is not impacted, the integrity and availability of the device can be severely compromised, as unauthorized changes to network configurations or firmware could disrupt device operation or enable further attacks. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, but the vulnerability's nature and accessibility make it a significant risk, especially in industrial or manufacturing environments where these devices are deployed for machine vision and automation tasks.

For European organizations, particularly those in manufacturing, automotive, pharmaceuticals, and logistics sectors that rely on Cognex In-Sight 2000 series devices for automated visual inspection and quality control, this vulnerability poses a substantial risk. Unauthorized modification of device configurations could lead to operational disruptions, production downtime, and potential safety hazards. Integrity compromises could allow attackers to manipulate inspection results, leading to defective products passing quality checks or halting production lines. Availability impacts could cause denial of service, affecting supply chains and operational continuity. Given the critical role of these devices in industrial control environments, exploitation could also facilitate lateral movement within networks, potentially exposing broader operational technology (OT) infrastructure to compromise. The lack of confidentiality impact reduces risk of data leakage but does not diminish the operational and safety consequences. European organizations with interconnected IT and OT environments are particularly vulnerable if network segmentation and access controls are insufficient.

1. Immediate mitigation should include disabling the telnet service on port 23 if it is not strictly necessary, or restricting access to it via network segmentation and firewall rules to trusted management networks only. 2. Enforce strong authentication and privilege separation policies to ensure only authorized personnel have protected privileges, and review user roles to minimize unnecessary access. 3. Monitor device logs and network traffic for unusual configuration change attempts or unauthorized access patterns. 4. Implement network-level intrusion detection systems tailored to detect anomalous telnet activity targeting these devices. 5. Coordinate with Cognex for firmware updates or patches addressing this vulnerability; if none are currently available, engage with vendor support for mitigation guidance. 6. Consider deploying compensating controls such as multi-factor authentication for management interfaces and out-of-band management channels. 7. Conduct regular security audits and penetration testing focused on OT devices to identify and remediate similar privilege escalation or configuration weaknesses. 8. Educate operational staff on the risks of telnet usage and encourage migration to more secure management protocols where possible.