CVE-2025-7849: NI LabVIEW Memory Corruption Vulnerability Leads to Potential Arbitrary Code Execution
In the realm of industrial and scientific software, vulnerabilities can have serious consequences. Today, we're diving into CVE-2025-7849, a memory corruption vulnerability affecting NI LabVIEW, a widely used platform for designing and developing complex measurement and control systems.
🔍 TL;DR Summary
CVE-2025-7849 describes a memory corruption vulnerability in NI LabVIEW caused by improper error handling when a VILinkObj is null. By enticing a user to open a specially crafted VI (Virtual Instrument), an attacker could potentially achieve arbitrary code execution. This affects NI LabVIEW 2025 Q1 and prior versions. Update your software promptly!
🚨 Vulnerability Details
- CVE ID: CVE-2025-7849
- Description: A memory corruption vulnerability exists in NI LabVIEW due to improper error handling when a
VILinkObjis null, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution. - CVSS Score: 7.8 (High)
- CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- CVSS v4.0 Score: 8.5 (High)
- CVSS v4.0 Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:P/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
- CVSS Explanation: This vulnerability requires local access (AV:L) and has low complexity (AC:L). User interaction (UI:R) is required to trigger the vulnerability. If exploited, this can lead to high impact on confidentiality (C:H), integrity (I:H), and availability (A:H).
- Exploit Requirements: An attacker needs to convince a user to open a malicious VI file within NI LabVIEW.
Affected Products:
- Vendor: National Instruments (NI)
- Product: NI LabVIEW
- Version: 2025 Q1 and prior versions
CWE:
- CWE ID: CWE-1285
- CWE Name: Improper Validation of Null Pointer
- Explanation: CWE-1285 refers to situations where software doesn't properly check if a pointer is null before attempting to use it. When the pointer *is* null, the program may crash, behave unpredictably, or even allow an attacker to hijack control.
📅 Timeline of Events
- 2025-07-29: CVE-2025-7849 publicly disclosed.
🧠 Exploitability & Real-World Risk
The exploitability of this vulnerability hinges on social engineering. An attacker needs to craft a malicious VI file and trick a LabVIEW user into opening it. This could be achieved through phishing campaigns, malicious websites, or even physical media. Given the critical nature of systems often controlled by LabVIEW, a successful exploit could lead to significant disruption, data breaches, or even physical damage depending on the connected equipment.
🛠️ Recommendations
To mitigate the risk posed by CVE-2025-7849, take the following steps:
- Apply the Patch: National Instruments has released a security update to address this vulnerability. Upgrade to the latest version of NI LabVIEW as soon as possible.
- Exercise Caution: Be extremely wary of opening VI files from untrusted sources. Verify the authenticity of the file before opening it.
- Security Awareness Training: Educate users about the risks of opening files from unknown sources and the potential consequences.
🧪 Technical Insight
The vulnerability stems from how LabVIEW handles null VILinkObj pointers. A VILinkObj likely represents a link to another Virtual Instrument or component within the LabVIEW environment. If this link is unexpectedly null and the software attempts to dereference it without proper error checking, it can lead to a memory corruption error. This memory corruption can be leveraged by an attacker to overwrite critical program data, ultimately achieving arbitrary code execution.
🙌 Credit to Researcher(s)
Credit to National Instruments for identifying and addressing this vulnerability.
🔗 References
🧵 Tags
#NILabVIEW #MemoryCorruption #RCE #CVE-2025-7849 #NationalInstruments #CWE-1285 #SecurityVulnerability
Summary: CVE-2025-7849 is a memory corruption vulnerability in NI LabVIEW caused by improper error handling of null VILinkObj pointers. By opening a crafted VI file, an attacker can potentially execute arbitrary code. Affects NI LabVIEW 2025 Q1 and prior versions; users should update immediately and exercise caution with VI files from untrusted sources.
CVE ID: CVE-2025-7849
Risk Analysis: Successful exploitation could lead to data breaches, system disruption, and potentially physical damage depending on the controlled equipment.
Recommendation: Update NI LabVIEW to the latest version, exercise caution when opening VI files from untrusted sources, and implement security awareness training.
Timeline
- 2025-07-29: CVE-2025-7849 publicly disclosed