CVE-2025-7616 is a memory corruption vulnerability identified in the gmg137 snap7-rs library versions up to 1.142.1. The flaw resides specifically in the pthread_cond_destroy function within the Public API component. This function is responsible for destroying condition variables used for thread synchronization. Improper handling or manipulation in this function leads to memory corruption, which can cause undefined behavior such as crashes, data corruption, or potentially arbitrary code execution depending on the exploitation context. The vulnerability has been publicly disclosed, increasing the risk of exploitation, although no known exploits have been observed in the wild to date. The CVSS 4.0 base score is 5.1 (medium severity), reflecting that the attack vector requires adjacent network access (AV:A), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:L), no user interaction (UI:N), and limited impacts on confidentiality, integrity, and availability (low to limited). The vulnerability does not require user interaction, but some level of privileges is needed, and the scope is unchanged. The snap7-rs library is commonly used for communication with Siemens S7 PLCs in industrial control systems (ICS), meaning this vulnerability could affect industrial environments relying on this library for automation and control tasks. Memory corruption in synchronization primitives can lead to unstable system behavior and could be leveraged by attackers to disrupt operations or escalate privileges within affected systems.

For European organizations, particularly those in industrial sectors such as manufacturing, energy, utilities, and critical infrastructure, this vulnerability poses a risk to operational technology (OT) environments. The snap7-rs library is used in communication with Siemens S7 PLCs, which are prevalent in European industrial automation. Exploitation could lead to system instability, denial of service, or potentially unauthorized control over PLC communications, impacting production lines or critical infrastructure processes. Although the CVSS score is medium and no known exploits are active, the public disclosure increases the risk of targeted attacks, especially in sectors where industrial control systems are critical. Disruption or manipulation of PLC communications can have severe safety, financial, and reputational consequences. The requirement for adjacent network access and low privileges somewhat limits remote exploitation but does not eliminate risk in segmented or less secure OT networks. European organizations with integrated IT/OT environments should be particularly vigilant as lateral movement within networks could enable exploitation.

Organizations should prioritize updating or patching the snap7-rs library to a version beyond 1.142.1 once a fix is released by the vendor. In the interim, network segmentation should be enforced to restrict access to systems running snap7-rs, limiting adjacent network exposure. Implement strict access controls and monitoring on OT networks to detect anomalous behavior related to PLC communications. Employ runtime protection and memory safety tools where feasible to detect and prevent memory corruption exploitation attempts. Conduct thorough audits of systems using snap7-rs to identify affected versions and isolate or contain vulnerable instances. Additionally, review and harden synchronization and threading usage in custom integrations with the library to minimize risk. Incident response plans should include scenarios involving PLC communication disruptions. Finally, maintain up-to-date threat intelligence to respond quickly if exploitation attempts emerge.