CVE-2025-1710: Endress Meac300 Auth Bypass Vulnerability

CVE-2025-1710 Overview

CVE-2025-1710 is a critical authentication vulnerability affecting the maxView Storage Manager component in Endress MEAC300-FNADE4 firmware. The system fails to implement sufficient measures to prevent multiple failed authentication attempts within a short time frame, making it susceptible to brute-force attacks. This weakness allows remote attackers to systematically attempt credential combinations without restriction, potentially leading to unauthorized system access.

Critical Impact

Attackers can exploit the missing rate-limiting controls to perform unlimited authentication attempts against the maxView Storage Manager, potentially compromising system credentials and gaining full administrative access to industrial control systems.

Affected Products

• Endress MEAC300-FNADE4 Firmware (all versions)
• Endress MEAC300-FNADE4 Hardware Device
• maxView Storage Manager component

Discovery Timeline

• July 3, 2025 - CVE-2025-1710 published to NVD
• February 6, 2026 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-1710

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability represents an improper restriction of excessive authentication attempts (CWE-307) in the maxView Storage Manager interface. The authentication mechanism lacks fundamental security controls that would limit the rate or number of login attempts from a single source. Without account lockout policies, CAPTCHA challenges, or progressive delays between attempts, the system remains exposed to automated credential attacks.

In industrial control system (ICS) environments where Endress devices are deployed, this vulnerability presents significant operational and safety risks. Successful exploitation could grant attackers administrative access to storage management functions, potentially allowing them to manipulate device configurations, access sensitive operational data, or disrupt critical industrial processes.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2025-1710 is the absence of authentication throttling mechanisms in the maxView Storage Manager. The authentication subsystem processes login requests without tracking failed attempt counts or implementing time-based lockouts. This design oversight allows attackers to submit authentication requests at machine speed without encountering any defensive countermeasures.

Attack Vector

The vulnerability is exploitable over the network without requiring prior authentication or user interaction. An attacker can target the maxView Storage Manager authentication endpoint directly from a remote location. The attack methodology involves:

1. Identifying an exposed maxView Storage Manager instance on the network
2. Deploying automated credential testing tools against the authentication endpoint
3. Systematically testing username and password combinations
4. Gaining unauthorized access upon discovering valid credentials

Due to the network-accessible nature of this vulnerability and the lack of any prerequisites for exploitation, attackers can conduct brute-force attacks from anywhere with network connectivity to the target device. Common attack techniques include dictionary attacks using known password lists, credential stuffing using leaked credential databases, and hybrid attacks combining common patterns with permutations.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-1710

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusually high volume of authentication failures in maxView Storage Manager logs from single IP addresses
• Multiple sequential login attempts occurring within milliseconds, indicating automated attack tools
• Authentication requests from unexpected geographic locations or IP ranges
• Successful authentication following extended periods of repeated failures from the same source
• Anomalous access patterns to administrative functions immediately after suspicious login activity

Detection Strategies

• Implement network monitoring to detect high-frequency connection attempts to maxView Storage Manager authentication ports
• Configure SIEM rules to alert on authentication failure thresholds exceeding normal operational patterns
• Deploy network intrusion detection systems (IDS) with signatures for common brute-force attack tools
• Monitor for reconnaissance activity targeting device management interfaces
• Analyze network flow data for sustained connection patterns indicative of credential testing

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable verbose authentication logging on Endress MEAC300-FNADE4 devices and forward logs to centralized security monitoring
• Establish baseline metrics for normal authentication activity to enable anomaly detection
• Implement real-time alerting for authentication failure rates exceeding defined thresholds
• Review the CISA ICS Recommended Practices for additional ICS-specific monitoring guidance
• Configure network monitoring at the perimeter to detect external brute-force attempts

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-1710

Immediate Actions Required

• Restrict network access to maxView Storage Manager interfaces using firewall rules and network segmentation
• Implement external authentication rate limiting via web application firewalls or reverse proxies
• Enforce strong password policies requiring complex credentials that resist dictionary attacks
• Enable multi-factor authentication if supported by the deployment environment
• Review and audit existing user accounts for weak or default credentials

Patch Information

Refer to the SICK PSIRT Information page for official security advisories and firmware updates. Detailed vulnerability information is available in the SICK CSAF Document 2025-0008 (PDF). Organizations should monitor vendor channels for updated firmware releases that address this authentication weakness.

Workarounds

• Deploy network-level access controls to limit authentication endpoint exposure to trusted IP ranges only
• Place affected devices behind VPN connections requiring authentication before network access
• Implement external rate-limiting solutions such as reverse proxies with brute-force protection
• Configure network intrusion prevention systems (IPS) to block sources exhibiting attack patterns
• Isolate ICS networks containing affected devices from general enterprise networks

# Example: iptables rate limiting for authentication endpoint
# Limit new connections to management interface to 5 per minute per source IP
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 443 -m state --state NEW -m recent --set
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 443 -m state --state NEW -m recent --update --seconds 60 --hitcount 5 -j DROP