Utility for DRP-A100 Series: Unquoted Search Path or Element
CVE-2025-5191 is a high-severity unquoted search path or element vulnerability in Utility for DRP-A100 Series from Moxa, with a CVSS 4.0 base score of 7.3 out of 10. It can be exploited with local access to the system by an attacker with a low-privileged account, without any action from a user. Affected Utility for DRP-A100 Series versions: 1.0 through 1.1; 1.0. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.15% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Check which version of Utility for DRP-A100 Series you run against the affected versions below, and install the vendor's latest release.
- Read the advisory on moxa.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moxa | Utility for DRP-A100 Series | 1.0 through 1.1; 1.0 | Not stated |
| Moxa | Utility for DRP-C100 Series | 1.0 through 1.1; 1.0 | Not stated |
Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Attack vector
- LocalThe attacker needs local access or must trick a user into running something.
- Attack complexity
- LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
- Attack requirements
- PresentThe target must be in a specific state or configuration for the attack to work.
- Privileges required
- LowA basic user account is enough.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Confidentiality (vulnerable system)
- HighSerious loss of confidentiality on the vulnerable system.
- Integrity (vulnerable system)
- HighSerious loss of integrity on the vulnerable system.
- Availability (vulnerable system)
- HighSerious loss of availability on the vulnerable system.
- Confidentiality (other systems)
- NoneNo loss of confidentiality on systems beyond the vulnerable one.
- Integrity (other systems)
- NoneNo loss of integrity on systems beyond the vulnerable one.
- Availability (other systems)
- NoneNo loss of availability on systems beyond the vulnerable one.
Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X. Scored by CNA (moxa.com).
Official description
An Unquoted Search Path vulnerability has been identified in the utility for Moxa’s industrial computers (Windows). Due to the unquoted path configuration in the SerialInterfaceService.exe utility, a local attacker with limited privileges could place a malicious executable in a higher-priority directory within the search path. When the Serial Interface service starts, the malicious executable could be run with SYSTEM privileges. Successful exploitation could allow privilege escalation or enable an attacker to maintain persistence on the affected system. While successful exploitation can severely impact the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected device itself, there is no loss of confidentiality, integrity, or availability within any subsequent systems.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Unquoted Search Path or Element
The product uses a search path that contains an unquoted element, in which the element contains whitespace or other separators. This can cause the product to access resources in a parent path.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Properly quote the full search path before executing a program on the system.
- Inputs should be decoded and canonicalized to the application's current internal representation before being validated (CWE-180). Make sure that the application does not decode the same input twice (CWE-174). Such errors could be used to bypass allowlist validation schemes by introducing dangerous inputs after they have been checked.
More Unquoted Search Path or Element vulnerabilities (CWE-428)
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Recent Unquoted Search Path or Element vulnerabilities
- 8.4 High severity
- 9.2 Critical severity
- 7.3 High severity
- 7.3 High severity
- 7.0 High severity
- 7.3 High severity
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