CVE-2025-54754 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting the Cognex In-Sight 2000 series, specifically version 5.x. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-259, which pertains to the use of hard-coded passwords. In this case, an attacker with adjacent network access—meaning they must be on the same local network segment or have similar proximity—can exploit the vulnerability without requiring any authentication. The attacker can extract a hard-coded password embedded within publicly available software related to the device. This password enables the attacker to decrypt sensitive network traffic to and from the Cognex device. The vulnerability impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability, as indicated by the CVSS vector (CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H). The attack complexity is low, no privileges are required, but user interaction is needed, likely involving the attacker tricking a user or leveraging a network interaction. The scope is unchanged, meaning the vulnerability affects only the vulnerable component. The lack of authentication requirement and the ability to decrypt sensitive traffic make this a critical concern for environments relying on these devices for industrial or manufacturing automation. No patches are currently available, and no known exploits have been reported in the wild as of the publication date.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability is significant, especially those in manufacturing, industrial automation, and logistics sectors where Cognex In-Sight 2000 series devices are deployed for machine vision and quality control. The ability to retrieve a hard-coded password and decrypt network traffic compromises the confidentiality of sensitive operational data, potentially exposing proprietary manufacturing processes or intellectual property. Integrity is also at risk, as attackers could manipulate intercepted data or commands, leading to faulty operations or production defects. Availability could be affected if attackers disrupt device communications or cause operational failures. Given the critical role these devices play in automated production lines, exploitation could lead to costly downtime, safety hazards, and regulatory compliance issues under GDPR if personal data is involved. The adjacent network access requirement limits the attack surface but does not eliminate risk, especially in environments with insufficient network segmentation or where remote access to local networks is possible.

To mitigate this vulnerability, European organizations should implement strict network segmentation to isolate Cognex devices from general IT networks and untrusted users, limiting adjacent access. Employing robust monitoring and anomaly detection on local networks can help identify unauthorized access attempts. Since no patch is currently available, organizations should consider disabling or restricting network services on the affected devices that are not essential, reducing exposure. Use of VPNs or encrypted tunnels for remote access to local networks can add an additional security layer. Reviewing and hardening device configurations, including changing default or hard-coded credentials where possible, is critical. Organizations should also engage with Cognex support to obtain updates on patches or firmware upgrades addressing this vulnerability. Finally, incorporating this vulnerability into incident response plans and conducting regular security audits of industrial control systems will improve preparedness.