dbcve.org
ArenaApplication · Rockwellautomation

CVE-2025-6376

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-07-09
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 remote code execution security issue exists in the Rockwell Automation Arena®.  A crafted DOE file can force Arena Simulation to write beyond the boundaries of an allocated object. Exploitation requires user interaction, such as opening a malicious file within the software. If exploited, a threat actor could execute arbitrary code on the target system. The software must run under the context of the administrator in order to cause worse case impact. This is reflected in the Rockwell CVSS score, as AT:P.

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 buffer overflow vulnerability exists in Rockwell Automation Arena Simulation software when parsing crafted DOE (Design of Experiments) files. The software writes beyond the boundaries of an allocated memory object when processing a maliciously constructed DOE file, allowing an attacker to achieve arbitrary code execution through user-assisted file opening.

MitigationOrganizations should enforce least-privilege by running Arena Simulation with non-administrator accounts, train users to avoid opening untrusted DOE files, and apply vendor patches when available. Until a patch is released, consider network segmentation and endpoint controls to limit exposure.

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. Verify Arena Simulation software is installed
    Check for Rockwell Automation Arena in the list of installed programs via Control Panel > Programs and Features, or search for 'arena.exe' in common installation directories such as C:\Program Files\Rockwell Automation\Arena or C:\Program Files (x86)\Rockwell Automation\Arena
    Affected if Arena Simulation software is present on the system
  2. Determine installed Arena version
    Right-click on the Arena executable (arena.exe), select Properties, then go to the Details tab to view the Product Version. Alternatively, open Arena and navigate to Help > About Arena Simulation
    Affected if The version shown is lower than 16.20.09 (e.g., 16.20.08, 16.20.00, or earlier)
  3. Confirm DOE file functionality is available
    Open Arena and check if the DOE (Design of Experiments) feature is accessible. Typically found under Tools > DOE or as a separate DOE menu option in the application toolbar
    Affected if DOE feature is present and can be used to import or open DOE files
  4. Check for recent DOE file interactions
    Review the Arena application log files (typically stored in the user's AppData\Roaming\Rockwell Automation\Arena\Logs folder) for entries related to DOE file operations or imports
    Affected if DOE files have been opened or processed in the application

A user is affected if Rockwell Automation Arena is installed with a version lower than 16.20.09 and the DOE feature is available for parsing DOE files.

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

Organizations should enforce least-privilege by running Arena Simulation with non-administrator accounts, train users to avoid opening untrusted DOE files, and apply vendor patches when available. Until a patch is released, consider network segmentation and endpoint controls to limit exposure.

Recommended fix High confidence

Arena version 16.20.09 or later

  1. Check the current installed version of Arena Simulation software
  2. Navigate to the official Rockwell Automation website or their support portal to obtain Arena version 16.20.09 or later
  3. Download the updated Arena software installer from an official Rockwell Automation source
  4. Follow the vendor's official installation instructions to upgrade the software
  5. After installation, verify the installed version matches 16.20.09 or higher

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

Fix this in Arena Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation12.0 h
  • Testing8.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
28.0 hours of engineering $4,880
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $7,808.

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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-2025-6376 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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