CVE-2025-9524 is a vulnerability identified in Axis Communications AB's AXIS OS, specifically within the VAPIX API's port.cgi endpoint. The root cause is improper validation of the specified input type (CWE-1287), which can cause the process handling the API request to crash, leading to a denial of service condition that affects the availability of the device. The vulnerability affects multiple versions of AXIS OS, from 6.50.0 up to 12.0.0, indicating a long-standing issue across several major releases. Exploitation requires an attacker to authenticate with at least viewer-level privileges, which means the attacker must already have some level of authorized access to the device. No user interaction is required beyond this authentication. The CVSS v3.1 score is 4.3 (medium), reflecting the network attack vector with low complexity, but requiring privileges and causing only availability impact without confidentiality or integrity compromise. No public exploits have been reported to date. The vulnerability could be leveraged to disrupt video surveillance services by causing process crashes, potentially impacting security monitoring and operational continuity in environments relying on these devices.

For European organizations, the primary impact of this vulnerability is the potential disruption of video surveillance and monitoring services due to process crashes on affected Axis devices. This can degrade physical security postures, especially in critical infrastructure sectors such as transportation, energy, government facilities, and large enterprises that rely heavily on continuous video monitoring. Although the vulnerability does not expose sensitive data or allow unauthorized control, the denial of service could create windows of opportunity for malicious activities to go undetected. The requirement for authenticated access limits the risk from external attackers but raises concerns about insider threats or compromised credentials. Organizations with extensive deployments of Axis network cameras and video management systems may experience operational impacts, including increased maintenance overhead and potential gaps in security coverage.

To mitigate CVE-2025-9524, organizations should implement strict access controls to ensure only trusted users have viewer, operator, or administrator privileges on Axis devices. Employ strong authentication mechanisms, including multi-factor authentication where possible, to reduce the risk of credential compromise. Network segmentation should be used to isolate surveillance devices from general user networks, limiting exposure. Continuous monitoring of device logs and process health can help detect abnormal crashes or service interruptions early. Since no patches are currently available, coordinate with Axis Communications for timely updates and apply vendor-supplied patches as soon as they are released. Additionally, consider deploying redundancy in surveillance systems to maintain coverage during potential outages caused by exploitation attempts.