CVE-2025-50109 Overview
CVE-2025-50109 affects Emerson ValveLink products, which store sensitive information in cleartext within a resource that may be accessible to another control sphere. The weakness maps to [CWE-316] (Cleartext Storage of Sensitive Information in Memory or other resources). ValveLink software is widely deployed in industrial control system (ICS) environments to configure and diagnose digital valve controllers. A local attacker with access to the host can read confidential data such as credentials or configuration secrets directly from storage. CISA published advisory ICSA-25-189-01 to coordinate disclosure and remediation.
Critical Impact
Local attackers with access to ValveLink hosts can extract sensitive cleartext data, undermining confidentiality and integrity of ICS configuration and credentials.
Affected Products
- Emerson ValveLink DTM
- Emerson ValveLink SOLO
- Emerson ValveLink SNAP-ON and PRM applications
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-07-11 - CVE-2025-50109 published to NVD
- 2025-07-11 - CISA releases ICS Advisory ICSA-25-189-01
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-50109
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability is an information disclosure issue rooted in cleartext storage of sensitive information ([CWE-316]). ValveLink stores configuration data, credentials, or related secrets in a resource that is not isolated to a single trust boundary. Another process, user, or control sphere on the same host can read these values directly. The attack vector is local, meaning an adversary must already have access to the system running ValveLink. Such access is common in ICS environments where engineering workstations are shared, networked into operational technology (OT) segments, or reachable through remote management tools. Exploitation does not require user interaction or elevated privileges, which raises the practical risk in environments with weak host hardening.
Root Cause
ValveLink writes sensitive material to a storage location without applying encryption or strict access controls. Because the resource is accessible to other control spheres on the host, isolation between privilege contexts breaks down. The flaw is a design-level failure to protect confidential data at rest within memory or on disk artifacts produced by the application.
Attack Vector
An attacker authenticated to the engineering workstation, or a malicious process running in another security context on that host, reads the cleartext resource. The disclosed data can include device credentials, configuration parameters, or other secrets useful for lateral movement into the controlled valves and downstream process equipment. No verified public proof-of-concept exploit is currently available. Refer to the CISA ICS Advisory ICSA-25-189-01 for technical details.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-50109
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected file reads against ValveLink configuration and data directories by non-ValveLink processes.
- Outbound transfers of ValveLink configuration files or memory dumps to external destinations.
- New or unauthorized local accounts on engineering workstations hosting ValveLink.
Detection Strategies
- Deploy endpoint detection and response (EDR) on engineering workstations to baseline normal ValveLink process behavior and flag deviations.
- Monitor file integrity and access events on ValveLink installation paths and user profile directories.
- Correlate authentication events on ICS hosts with subsequent access to ValveLink-managed resources.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Forward host telemetry from OT engineering workstations to a centralized SIEM or data lake for retention and analysis.
- Alert on process injection, memory access, or credential scraping behaviors targeting ValveLink executables.
- Track inter-process access patterns that cross trust boundaries on shared ICS hosts.
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-50109
Immediate Actions Required
- Apply the vendor-provided update from Emerson Software Downloads once available.
- Restrict local and interactive logon to ValveLink hosts to a minimum set of authorized engineers.
- Audit file system permissions on ValveLink directories and remove access for non-administrative accounts.
Patch Information
Emerson publishes remediation guidance through its Security Notifications portal and coordinates disclosure with CISA in ICSA-25-189-01. Administrators should apply the latest ValveLink release identified in those advisories and rotate any credentials that may have been exposed.
Workarounds
- Isolate ValveLink engineering workstations on dedicated OT network segments with strict access control.
- Enforce full-disk encryption and enable host-based access controls to limit exposure of cleartext resources.
- Disable shared accounts and require per-user authentication on ValveLink hosts to reduce cross-sphere access.
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
