---
title: "Critical Siemens Industrial Edge Flaw Allows Unauthorized Access"
short_title: "Siemens Industrial Edge auth bypass flaw"
description: "Siemens discloses a critical authorization bypass vulnerability (CVE-2025-40805) in Industrial Edge devices, enabling remote attackers to impersonate users. Patch now."
author: "Vitus"
date: 2025-01-24
categories: [Cybersecurity, Vulnerabilities]
tags: [siemens, cve-2025-40805, industrial-security, authentication-bypass, critical]
score: 0.92
cve_ids: [CVE-2025-40805]
---
TL;DR
Siemens has disclosed a critical authorization bypass vulnerability (CVE-2025-40805) in its Industrial Edge devices, allowing unauthenticated remote attackers to circumvent authentication and impersonate legitimate users. The flaw, rated CVSS 10.0, affects over 50 products, including SCALANCE, SIMATIC, and SIPLUS devices. Siemens has released patches for most affected systems and urges immediate updates to mitigate risks.
---
Main Content
Introduction
Industrial control systems (ICS) are the backbone of critical manufacturing and infrastructure, making their security a top priority. Siemens, a global leader in industrial automation, has issued an urgent advisory addressing a critical vulnerability in its Industrial Edge devices. Tracked as CVE-2025-40805, this flaw enables attackers to bypass authentication mechanisms and gain unauthorized access to sensitive systems. With a CVSS score of 10.0, the vulnerability poses a severe risk to organizations relying on Siemens’ industrial solutions.
---
Key Points
- Critical Vulnerability: CVE-2025-40805 allows unauthenticated remote attackers to bypass authentication and impersonate legitimate users.
- Widespread Impact: Over 50 Siemens products are affected, including Industrial Edge devices, SCALANCE, SIMATIC, and SIPLUS HMI panels.
- CVSS 10.0: The flaw is rated critical, with potential for high-impact exploitation in industrial environments.
- Patches Available: Siemens has released updates for most affected products and recommends immediate patching.
- Mitigation Strategies: Organizations are advised to restrict network access to trusted parties and follow Siemens’ operational guidelines for industrial security.
---
Technical Details
#### Vulnerability Overview
CVE-2025-40805 is an authorization bypass vulnerability stemming from improper enforcement of user authentication on specific API endpoints. An attacker who successfully exploits this flaw can:
- Circumvent authentication mechanisms.
- Impersonate legitimate users without credentials.
- Gain unauthorized access to industrial systems and sensitive data.
Successful exploitation requires the attacker to learn the identity of a legitimate user, but the flaw does not demand advanced technical skills, increasing the risk of widespread attacks.
#### Affected Products
The vulnerability impacts a broad range of Siemens Industrial Edge devices, including:
- Industrial Edge Cloud Device (IECD)
- Industrial Edge Own Device (IEOD)
- Industrial Edge Virtual Device (IEVD)
- SCALANCE LPE9413 and LPE9433
- SIMATIC Automation Workstations (19" and 24")
- SIMATIC HMI Unified Comfort Panels (MTP700, MTP1000, MTP1200, MTP1500, MTP1900, MTP2200)
- SIMATIC IPC Industrial Edge Devices (BX-39A, BX-59A, IPC127E, IPC227E, IPC227G, IPC427E, IPC847E)
- SIPLUS HMI Unified Comfort Panels
For a full list of affected products, refer to Siemens’ [official advisory](https://github.com/cisagov/CSAF/blob/develop/csaf_files/OT/white/2026/icsa-26-015-08.json).
---
Impact Assessment
#### Potential Risks
The exploitation of CVE-2025-40805 could lead to:
- Unauthorized control of industrial systems, disrupting manufacturing processes.
- Data breaches, exposing sensitive operational and proprietary information.
- Lateral movement within networks, enabling attackers to target additional critical infrastructure.
- Compliance violations, particularly in sectors governed by strict cybersecurity regulations (e.g., energy, healthcare, and manufacturing).
#### Targeted Sectors
The vulnerability primarily affects critical manufacturing sectors, with Siemens devices deployed worldwide. Organizations in Germany, the U.S., and Europe are particularly at risk due to the widespread adoption of Siemens’ industrial solutions.
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Mitigation Steps
Siemens has released patches and mitigations to address CVE-2025-40805. Organizations are urged to take the following actions:
#### Patch Management
- Update Industrial Edge Own Device (IEOD) to V1.24.2 or later.
- Update Industrial Edge Cloud Device (IECD) and Industrial Edge Virtual Device (IEVD) to V1.24.2 or later.
- Update SIMATIC IOT2050 to V1.25.1 or later.
- Update SCALANCE LPE9413 and LPE9433 to V2.2 or later.
- Update SIMATIC HMI Unified Comfort Panels to V21 or later.
- Update SIMATIC IPC Industrial Edge Devices to V3.1 or later.
#### Workarounds for Unpatched Systems
- Restrict network access to affected devices, limiting exposure to trusted parties only.
- Isolate industrial control systems from business networks using firewalls.
- Monitor network traffic for suspicious activity, particularly unauthorized access attempts.
#### General Security Recommendations
- Follow Siemens’ [Operational Guidelines for Industrial Security](https://www.siemens.com/cert/operational-guidelines-industrial-security).
- Implement defense-in-depth strategies, including network segmentation and regular security audits.
- Use secure remote access methods, such as VPNs, and ensure they are updated to the latest versions.
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Affected Systems
The following table summarizes the CVSS metrics and affected vendor:
| CVSS Version | Base Score | Base Severity | Vector String | Vendor | Vulnerability Type |
|------------------|----------------|-------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------|--------------------------------------------|
| 3.1 | 10.0 | CRITICAL | [CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H](https://www.first.org/cvss/calculator/3.1#CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H) | Siemens | Authorization Bypass Through User-Controlled Key |
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Conclusion
CVE-2025-40805 represents a critical threat to industrial environments relying on Siemens’ Industrial Edge devices. With a CVSS score of 10.0, the vulnerability enables unauthenticated attackers to bypass authentication and impersonate legitimate users, potentially leading to disruptions, data breaches, and compliance violations. Siemens has released patches for most affected products, and organizations must act immediately to apply updates and implement recommended mitigations.
Failure to address this vulnerability could expose critical infrastructure to cyberattacks, operational downtime, and financial losses. Stay vigilant, monitor for updates, and prioritize industrial cybersecurity to safeguard against emerging threats.
---
References
[^1]: Siemens ProductCERT. "[SSA-001536: Authorization Bypass in Industrial Edge Devices](https://github.com/cisagov/CSAF/blob/develop/csaf_files/OT/white/2026/icsa-26-015-08.json)". Retrieved 2025-01-24.
[^2]: CISA. "[ICSA-26-015-08: Siemens Industrial Edge Devices](https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/ics-advisories/icsa-26-015-08)". Retrieved 2025-01-24.
[^3]: MITRE. "[CWE-639: Authorization Bypass Through User-Controlled Key](https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/639.html)". Retrieved 2025-01-24.