CVE-2025-41682 Overview
CVE-2025-41682 is a credential disclosure vulnerability affecting a charge controller device. An authenticated, low-privileged attacker can retrieve credentials stored on the device, including the manufacturer password. The flaw is categorized under [CWE-522]: Insufficiently Protected Credentials. Successful exploitation grants the attacker access to higher-privileged accounts, enabling full control of the affected charge controller.
The vulnerability is reachable over the network and requires only low-privileged authentication, making lateral movement straightforward once any valid account is compromised. The issue was published in CERT VDE advisory VDE-2025-061.
Critical Impact
Recovery of the manufacturer password allows complete compromise of the charge controller, including configuration tampering, firmware manipulation, and disruption of charging operations.
Affected Products
- Charge controller device referenced in CERT VDE Security Advisory VDE-2025-061
- Specific vendor and product identifiers are not enumerated in the published NVD record
- Refer to the CERT VDE advisory for the authoritative list of affected firmware versions
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-09-08 - CVE-2025-41682 published to NVD
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-41682
Vulnerability Analysis
The charge controller stores credentials in a manner accessible to authenticated users who do not require administrative privileges. An attacker holding any valid low-privileged account can query or read the storage location and recover credentials in a usable form. The recovered set includes the manufacturer password, which typically grants the highest level of access on industrial and energy-sector control devices.
Because the manufacturer password is shared across the product line or used for vendor-level maintenance, its disclosure has implications beyond a single device. An attacker who recovers the password from one unit can attempt to reuse it across other deployments of the same model. The flaw provides a direct path from minimal access to full device takeover without exploiting any memory corruption or auxiliary weakness.
Root Cause
The root cause is insufficient protection of stored credentials [CWE-522]. The device fails to enforce access controls or encryption strong enough to keep credential material confidential from authenticated users. Credentials that should be readable only by the highest-privileged service or process are exposed through an interface accessible to lower-privileged roles.
Attack Vector
The attack vector is network-based. An attacker authenticates to the charge controller with any valid low-privileged credential, then issues requests that return stored credential material. No user interaction is required. Once the manufacturer password is recovered, the attacker re-authenticates as the manufacturer role and can change configuration, push firmware, or disable safety limits.
No public proof-of-concept exploit code is currently available. The vulnerability is described in prose only in the upstream advisory; refer to CERT VDE Security Advisory VDE-2025-061 for vendor-specific exploitation context.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-41682
Indicators of Compromise
- Authentication events from low-privileged accounts followed shortly by successful manufacturer-level logins from the same source address
- Unexpected configuration changes, firmware updates, or parameter modifications on charge controllers
- Access to credential-related endpoints or configuration pages by accounts that should not require them
Detection Strategies
- Audit charge controller access logs for low-privileged sessions reading configuration or credential storage paths
- Correlate successive logins where a low-privileged session is followed by a high-privileged session from the same IP within a short window
- Compare device configuration baselines against current state to identify unauthorized changes following suspicious authentication activity
Monitoring Recommendations
- Forward charge controller authentication and configuration logs to a centralized SIEM for retention and correlation
- Alert on any use of the manufacturer account from network segments that do not host vendor maintenance traffic
- Track firmware version and configuration hash drift across the fleet to detect post-compromise tampering
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-41682
Immediate Actions Required
- Apply the firmware update referenced in CERT VDE Security Advisory VDE-2025-061 as soon as it is available for the affected model
- Rotate the manufacturer password and all stored credentials on every device assumed to be exposed
- Restrict network access to the charge controller management interface to trusted operator workstations only
- Review existing low-privileged accounts and remove any that are unused or no longer required
Patch Information
Consult the CERT VDE advisory at VDE-2025-061 for the vendor-supplied patched firmware version and upgrade procedure. The NVD record does not list specific fixed versions; the vendor advisory is the authoritative source for remediated builds.
Workarounds
- Place the charge controller behind a network segment that requires VPN or jump-host access for any management traffic
- Disable or rate-limit accounts that do not require routine access to the device
- Monitor for and block repeated authentication attempts from a single source within the operational network
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
