CVE-2025-3285
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedA local code execution vulnerability exists in the Rockwell Automation Arena® due to a threat actor being able to read outside of the allocated memory buffer. The flaw is a result of improper validation of user-supplied data. If exploited a threat actor can disclose information and execute arbitrary code on the system. To exploit the vulnerability a legitimate user must open a malicious DOE file.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · moderate confidenceA buffer over-read vulnerability exists in Rockwell Automation Arena® simulation software due to improper validation of user-supplied data when parsing DOE files. An attacker can craft a malicious DOE file that, when opened by a legitimate user, allows reading outside allocated memory boundaries, leading to information disclosure and potential arbitrary code execution.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data< 16.20.09CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
-
Verify Arena is installedCheck if Rockwell Automation Arena simulation software is present on the system by looking in installed programs or searching for the Arena executableAffected if Arena software is installed on the system
-
Determine installed versionLocate the installed version of Arena (typically found in the application properties, about dialog, or installed programs list) and record the full version numberAffected if Unable to determine the version for comparison
-
Compare against affected rangeCompare your installed Arena version to the affected range: any version below 16.20.09 is vulnerable. Versions 16.20.09 and later contain the fixAffected if Installed version is less than 16.20.09
-
Assess DOE file handling exposureDetermine if the Arena installation has the capability to open or import DOE files, as the vulnerability triggers when parsing a maliciously crafted DOE fileAffected if DOE file import or parsing functionality is accessible to users
If the installed Arena version is below 16.20.09 and users can open DOE files, the environment is affected by this vulnerability.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
dbcve · scoped16.20.09
Apply vendor patches when available. Until then, exercise caution with untrusted DOE files and implement network segmentation to limit exposure. Users should not open DOE files from untrusted sources.
Arena version 16.20.09
- Download Arena version 16.20.09 or later from the official Rockwell Automation website
- Verify the download integrity using provided checksums if available
- Close any running instances of Arena
- Install the updated Arena version following the standard installation process
- Open Arena and confirm the version is 16.20.09 or higher
- Ensure users only open DOE files from trusted sources to mitigate the attack vector
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $5,600.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-3285 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2025-3285 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data