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ArenaApplication · Rockwellautomation

CVE-2025-3289

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-04-08
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 16.20.09 or later.
See remediation →
81/100
Remediation priority · High
No privileges

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 · unedited
A local code execution vulnerability exists in the Rockwell Automation Arena® due to a stack-based memory buffer overflow. The flaw is 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 · high confidence

A stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability exists in Rockwell Automation Arena 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, triggers the overflow allowing information disclosure and arbitrary code execution with the privileges of the current user.

MitigationDo not open untrusted or unexpected DOE files in Arena. Apply the vendor patch when released and ensure users operate with least privilege to limit impact of potential 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
ArenaApplication
Affected:< 16.20.09

CVSS 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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify if Rockwell Automation Arena is installed
    Check the system for presence of Arena software. Look in standard installation directories (Program Files, Program Files x86) or use system inventory tools to find Arena executables (arena.exe).
    Affected if Arena software is found on the system
  2. Determine installed Arena version
    Right-click the Arena executable (arena.exe), select Properties, then view the Details tab for version information. Alternatively, launch Arena and check Help > About.
    Affected if Installed version is lower than 16.20.09 (e.g., 16.20.00, 16.00.00, etc.)
  3. Verify DOE file handling capability exists
    Check if the Arena installation includes DOE file parsing functionality. Look for DOE-related file types (.doe) or menu options within Arena for importing DOE files.
    Affected if DOE file import or parsing features are present and accessible in the installation
  4. Assess DOE file access vector
    Examine file associations for .doe files on the system. Check whether users can double-click or drag-and-drop DOE files into Arena to trigger parsing.
    Affected if DOE files can be opened directly through Arena by any user on the system

A system is affected if Rockwell Automation Arena is installed with a version lower than 16.20.09 and the DOE file parsing feature is accessible to users.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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 · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 16.20.09 or later
Fixed in 16.20.09
Interim mitigation

Do not open untrusted or unexpected DOE files in Arena. Apply the vendor patch when released and ensure users operate with least privilege to limit impact of potential code execution.

Recommended fix High confidence

Arena 16.20.09

  1. Identify the current installed version of Arena by accessing the application or checking the software inventory
  2. Navigate to the official Rockwell Automation support website (www.rockwellautomation.com) to obtain Arena version 16.20.09 or later
  3. Download the Arena 16.20.09 installer from the Rockwell Automation support portal
  4. Test the upgrade in a non-production environment to verify compatibility with existing workflows and DOE files
  5. Create a full backup of existing Arena projects and configuration data before proceeding
  6. Execute the installer and follow the documented upgrade procedure provided by Rockwell Automation
  7. Verify the installation was successful by confirming the new version number in the application
  8. Validate that existing DOE files open correctly and functionality is intact
Caveat Review release notes for any changes to file format compatibility or workflow modifications before upgrading production systems

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Arena Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation6.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
16.0 hours of engineering $2,880
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,608.

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2025-3289 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

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.

What belongs here
  • 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