CVE-2025-7224: INVT HMITool VPM File Parsing RCE Flaw

CVE-2025-7224 Overview

CVE-2025-7224 is an out-of-bounds write vulnerability [CWE-787] in INVT HMITool, a human-machine interface (HMI) configuration application used in industrial automation environments. The flaw exists in the parsing routine for VPM project files. When HMITool processes a crafted VPM file, insufficient validation of user-supplied data allows a write past the end of an allocated buffer. Attackers who convince a user to open a malicious VPM file can execute arbitrary code in the context of the HMITool process. The issue was reported through the Zero Day Initiative as ZDI-CAN-25045.

Critical Impact
Successful exploitation grants arbitrary code execution on engineering workstations running INVT HMITool, providing a foothold into industrial control system (ICS) environments.

Affected Products

INVT HMITool version 7.1.011
INVT HMI engineering workstations processing VPM project files
Industrial automation environments deploying INVT human-machine interfaces

Discovery Timeline

2025-07-21 - CVE-2025-7224 published to NVD
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-7224

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability resides in the VPM file parser inside INVT HMITool. VPM files store HMI project configuration data, including screens, tags, and communication settings. The parser reads structured fields from the file and copies them into fixed-size buffers without validating length or offset values against the destination buffer size.

An attacker can craft a VPM file containing oversized or manipulated length fields. When HMITool loads the file, the parser writes attacker-controlled bytes beyond the allocated buffer boundary. This memory corruption can overwrite adjacent heap or stack structures, including function pointers and return addresses, leading to control-flow hijacking.

Exploitation is local and requires user interaction, since a target user must open the malicious file or visit a page that delivers it. The process runs with the privileges of the logged-in engineer, which in industrial environments often includes access to programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and control network resources.

Root Cause

The root cause is missing bounds validation on length fields read from untrusted VPM file data. The parser trusts values embedded in the file and uses them directly in memory copy operations, violating the CWE-787 pattern of out-of-bounds write.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is local file parsing with user interaction. An attacker delivers a malicious .vpm file through phishing email, a compromised project repository, a USB drive, or a watering-hole website. When the engineer opens the file in HMITool, the parser triggers the out-of-bounds write and executes attacker-supplied code. See the Zero Day Initiative Advisory ZDI-25-475 for additional technical detail.

// No verified proof-of-concept code is publicly available for CVE-2025-7224.
// Refer to ZDI-25-475 for the coordinated disclosure details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-7224

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected .vpm files arriving via email attachments, external drives, or shared project folders on engineering workstations
HMITool process crashes, exception dialogs, or Windows Error Reporting entries generated shortly after opening a project file
Child processes spawned by HMITool.exe such as cmd.exe, powershell.exe, or unsigned binaries executing from user-writable directories

Detection Strategies

Monitor process creation events where HMITool.exe is the parent process and correlate with subsequent network connections or file writes
Inspect endpoint telemetry for memory access violations and abnormal exit codes tied to the HMITool binary
Apply file integrity monitoring to VPM project directories to identify unauthorized modifications or newly introduced files from untrusted sources

Monitoring Recommendations

Log all VPM file access on engineering workstations and forward events to a centralized SIEM for correlation
Alert on outbound network connections initiated by HMITool.exe, which should normally communicate only with local PLCs and configured devices
Track user activity on OT engineering hosts, including removable media usage and browser downloads of project files

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-7224

Immediate Actions Required

Restrict opening of VPM files to trusted, verified sources and block untrusted email attachments with .vpm extensions at the mail gateway
Isolate engineering workstations running INVT HMITool on segmented OT networks with strict egress controls
Enforce least-privilege user accounts on hosts running HMITool to limit the impact of code execution in the user context

Patch Information

At the time of publication, no vendor patch URL is listed in the NVD entry. Users of INVT HMITool 7.1.011 should contact INVT directly and monitor the Zero Day Initiative Advisory ZDI-25-475 for updates on fixed versions.

Workarounds

Do not open VPM files received from unknown or untrusted sources, and validate file provenance before loading in HMITool
Deploy application allowlisting to prevent unauthorized child processes from spawning under HMITool.exe
Use a dedicated, network-isolated workstation for reviewing suspicious project files and keep production engineering hosts separate

bash

# Example: block .vpm attachments at a Postfix mail gateway using header_checks
# /etc/postfix/header_checks
/^Content-(Disposition|Type).*name\s*=\s*"?.*\.vpm"?/  REJECT VPM attachments are not permitted