CVE-2025-3288
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 confidenceAn out-of-bounds memory read vulnerability exists in Rockwell Automation Arena® due to improper validation of user-supplied data when parsing DOE files. A maliciously crafted DOE file can cause the application to read beyond allocated memory buffers, potentially enabling information disclosure and arbitrary code execution. The attacker requires a legitimate user to open the malicious file.
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.
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Confirm Arena installationCheck if Rockwell Automation Arena is installed on the system. Look for the application in standard installation directories (typically C:\Program Files\Rockwell Automation\Arena\) or check the Windows Add/Remove Programs list.Affected if Arena is installed and the version is below 16.20.09
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Identify installed Arena versionRight-click the Arena executable (arena.exe), select Properties, and view the Version tab. Alternatively, launch Arena and navigate to Help > About Arena to display the version information.Affected if The displayed version is any version prior to 16.20.09 (e.g., 16.00.00, 16.10.00, 16.20.00 through 16.20.08)
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Verify DOE file parsing is availableCheck if the DOE file import feature is accessible in Arena. This is typically found under File > Open or File > Import, looking for .doe file extension support. Also check if any .doe files exist in recent project folders.Affected if DOE file functionality is present and .doe files can be opened within the application
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Review recent DOE file activityExamine the application's recent files list, Windows Jump Lists, or project directories for any recently opened .doe files. Check Windows Event Logs for application errors related to file parsing.Affected if Users have recently opened DOE files in the affected Arena version
The environment is affected if Rockwell Automation Arena is installed with any version prior to 16.20.09 and users have the ability to open or import DOE files.
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
Users should avoid opening DOE files from untrusted sources. Organizations should implement file validation, apply vendor patches when available, and consider sandboxing or endpoint protection for systems running Arena®.
Arena version 16.20.09 or later
- Obtain Arena version 16.20.09 or later from the official Rockwell Automation website or their authorized distribution channels
- Verify the downloaded software matches the official hash values provided by Rockwell Automation
- Close any running instances of Arena application
- Install the upgraded Arena version following standard installation procedures
- After installation, verify the version number displays as 16.20.09 or higher
- Test that legitimate DOE files open correctly in the upgraded version
- Consider backing up any existing DOE files and Arena configurations before the upgrade
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation16.0 h
- Testing8.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-3288 — 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-2025-3288 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
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- 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