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PatchSiren cyber security CVE debrief

CVE-2025-14850 Advantech CVE debrief

A directory traversal vulnerability in Advantech WebAccess/SCADA allows authenticated attackers to delete arbitrary files on affected systems. The vulnerability carries a HIGH severity CVSS 3.1 score of 8.1, reflecting significant integrity and availability impact with low attack complexity. CISA published this advisory on December 18, 2025, as ICSA-25-352-06. The issue is not currently listed in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. Advantech has released version 9.2.2 to address this vulnerability. Organizations should prioritize patching, especially for internet-facing SCADA installations, and implement network segmentation to limit exposure of critical industrial control systems.

Vendor
Advantech
Product
WebAccess/SCADA
CVSS
HIGH 8.1
CISA KEV
Not listed in stored evidence
Original CVE published
2025-12-18
Original CVE updated
2025-12-18
Advisory published
2025-12-18
Advisory updated
2025-12-18

Who should care

Organizations operating Advantech WebAccess/SCADA for industrial process control, particularly those with externally accessible management interfaces. Critical infrastructure operators in manufacturing, energy, water treatment, and building automation using this SCADA platform should prioritize assessment and patching.

Technical summary

The vulnerability exists in Advantech WebAccess/SCADA and stems from improper path validation, allowing directory traversal sequences to bypass intended file access restrictions. An attacker with low privileges can exploit this to delete arbitrary files on the underlying system. The CVSS 3.1 score of 8.1 reflects high integrity and availability impact with network accessibility and low attack complexity. No confidentiality impact is indicated. The attack requires no user interaction and maintains unchanged scope.

Defensive priority

HIGH

Recommended defensive actions

  • Upgrade to Advantech WebAccess/SCADA version 9.2.2 or later to remediate the directory traversal vulnerability
  • Restrict network access to WebAccess/SCADA management interfaces, especially from untrusted networks
  • Implement network segmentation to isolate SCADA systems from enterprise IT networks
  • Monitor for unauthorized file deletion activity in WebAccess/SCADA installation directories
  • Apply principle of least privilege to WebAccess/SCADA user accounts
  • Review and validate backup integrity for critical SCADA configuration and runtime files

Evidence notes

CISA's advisory confirms the vulnerability type as directory traversal with arbitrary file deletion impact. The CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H) indicates network attack vector, low complexity, low privileges required, and high impact to integrity and availability. Advantech's remediation guidance specifies WebAccess/SCADA version 9.2.2 as the fixed version.

Sources and references

Verified primary and authoritative sources

  • CVE-2025-14850 CVE Program record

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-14850

    CVE Program - Official CVE Program record with source-provided CVE metadata.

  • CVE-2025-14850 NVD vulnerability detail

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-14850

    NIST National Vulnerability Database - Official NIST NVD detail page and source-specific vulnerability assessment.

Supplemental references

  • Source item URL

    Unverified legacy reference

    URL: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/cisagov/CSAF/develop/csaf_files/OT/white/2025/icsa-25-352-06.json

    cisa_csaf

  • Source reference

    Unverified legacy reference

    URL: https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/ics-advisories/icsa-25-352-06

    Reference

  • Source reference

    Unverified legacy reference

    URL: https://www.cisa.gov/uscert/ics/alerts/ICS-ALERT-10-301-01

    Reference

  • Source reference

    Unverified legacy reference

    URL: https://www.cisa.gov/resources-tools/resources/ics-recommended-practices

    Reference

  • Source reference

    Unverified legacy reference

    URL: https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/Cybersecurity_Best_Practices_for_Industrial_Control_Systems.pdf

    Reference

  • Source reference

    Unverified legacy reference

    URL: https://www.cisa.gov/topics/industrial-control-systems

    Reference

  • Source reference

    Unverified legacy reference

    URL: https://www.cisa.gov/uscert/sites/default/files/publications/emailscams0905.pdf

    Reference

  • Source reference

    Unverified legacy reference

    URL: https://www.cisa.gov/uscert/ncas/tips/ST04-014

    Reference

Methodology and review provenance

AI-assisted synthesis based on stored public vulnerability evidence. System validation, approval state, and publication status do not by themselves establish human review of this revision. PatchSiren helps prioritize defensive review and does not prove exposure or remediation on any system.