CVE-2025-25266: Siemens Tecnomatix Plant Simulation Auth Bypass

CVE-2025-25266 Overview

Siemens disclosed CVE-2025-25266, an improper access control vulnerability in Tecnomatix Plant Simulation. The affected application does not properly restrict access to the file deletion functionality. An unauthorized attacker can delete files even when access to the system should be prohibited, resulting in data loss or unauthorized modification of system files. The flaw is tracked under CWE-552: Files or Directories Accessible to External Parties. Siemens published the fix in security advisory SSA-507653. The vulnerability affects Tecnomatix Plant Simulation V2302 versions prior to V2302.0021 and V2404 versions prior to V2404.0010.

Critical Impact
A local attacker without authentication can delete arbitrary files, causing data loss or integrity damage to system files used by Plant Simulation.

Affected Products

Siemens Tecnomatix Plant Simulation V2302 (all versions before V2302.0021)
Siemens Tecnomatix Plant Simulation V2404 (all versions before V2404.0010)
Digital manufacturing environments relying on Plant Simulation for modeling and analysis

Discovery Timeline

2025-03-11 - CVE-2025-25266 published to the National Vulnerability Database (NVD)
2026-06-17 - Last updated in the NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-25266

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability resides in the file deletion functionality of Tecnomatix Plant Simulation. The application exposes deletion operations without enforcing the access controls expected for privileged file management. An attacker with local access to a host running Plant Simulation can invoke this functionality and remove files that should be inaccessible. The impact centers on integrity: attackers can destroy simulation project files, configuration data, and other resources the application interacts with. Availability is also affected because deleted files disrupt legitimate simulation workflows. Confidentiality is not directly impacted because the flaw enables deletion rather than disclosure.

Root Cause

The root cause is a missing authorization check in the file deletion code path, classified as CWE-552: Files or Directories Accessible to External Parties. The application trusts requests to the deletion routine without validating that the caller has rights over the target file. This gap allows deletion outside the boundaries of the application's intended trust model.

Attack Vector

Exploitation requires local access to the affected system. The attacker does not need prior authentication or user interaction. By invoking the vulnerable deletion functionality through the application interface, an unauthorized user triggers file removal against arbitrary paths. There are no public proof-of-concept exploits available, and the vulnerability is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.

No verified proof-of-concept code is publicly available. See the Siemens Security Advisory SSA-507653 for vendor technical details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-25266

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected deletion of Plant Simulation project files, models, or configuration files under installation directories
File system audit events showing deletions performed by the Plant Simulation process against paths outside typical working directories
User reports of missing simulation artifacts or corrupted project workspaces

Detection Strategies

Enable Windows object access auditing on directories used by Tecnomatix Plant Simulation and alert on delete operations initiated by the application binary
Correlate Sysmon FileDelete (Event ID 23) and FileDeleteDetected (Event ID 26) events with the Plant Simulation process to identify anomalous deletions
Baseline expected file deletion patterns for engineering workstations and flag deviations

Monitoring Recommendations

Forward endpoint file system telemetry from engineering hosts to a centralized SIEM for correlation and retention
Monitor local user sessions on Plant Simulation hosts for interactive activity outside authorized change windows
Track version inventory of Tecnomatix Plant Simulation installations to identify unpatched systems still exposed to CVE-2025-25266

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-25266

Immediate Actions Required

Inventory all systems running Tecnomatix Plant Simulation V2302 and V2404 and identify versions below V2302.0021 and V2404.0010
Restrict local and interactive access on engineering workstations to authorized operators only
Back up simulation projects and configuration files to a protected location before applying updates
Apply the Siemens fix as described in advisory SSA-507653 as soon as maintenance windows allow

Patch Information

Siemens has released fixed versions that address CVE-2025-25266. Upgrade Tecnomatix Plant Simulation V2302 to V2302.0021 or later, and Tecnomatix Plant Simulation V2404 to V2404.0010 or later. Full remediation details are in the Siemens Security Advisory SSA-507653.

Workarounds

Limit physical and remote interactive logon on hosts running Plant Simulation to trusted engineers
Apply least-privilege file system permissions so that non-administrative users cannot access sensitive directories referenced by the application
Segment engineering workstations from general-purpose corporate networks per Siemens operational guidelines for industrial security
Maintain offline backups of Plant Simulation project files to enable rapid recovery if files are deleted

bash

# Example: verify installed Plant Simulation version on Windows
reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Siemens\Tecnomatix Plant Simulation" /s | findstr /I "Version"

# Example: enable auditing on the Plant Simulation working directory
auditpol /set /subcategory:"File System" /success:enable /failure:enable