On February 11, 2025, Schneider Electric released a security notification regarding a high-severity vulnerability, CVE-2025-0327, affecting its EcoStruxure™ Process Expert and EcoStruxure™ Process Expert for AVEVA System Platform products. This vulnerability could allow a local privilege escalation, compromising the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of engineering workstations used for critical automation and control systems. In this post, we will explore the details of the vulnerability, its potential risks, and provide a guide on how to mitigate its impact.

What is CVE-2025-0327? refers to an improper privilege management vulnerability found in two key services of the affected products:

1. A service managing audit trail data.
2. A server-side service managing client requests.

The 2 vulnerabilities has been rated as high in severity:

• CVSS v3.1 Base Score: 7.8 (High) and CVSS v4.0 Base Score: 8.5 (High)
• Attack Complexity low
• Confidentiality high
• Integrity high
• Availability high
• Privileges Required low

Exploitation of this vulnerability occurs when an attacker with low privileges can modify the executable paths of the vulnerable services. To be exploited, the affected services need to be restarted, potentially resulting in severe security risks. The attacker can potentially gain unauthorized access to critical system areas, resulting in a complete compromise of the workstation resulting in the potential compromise of system confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

Which Products Are Affected? The vulnerability affects the following versions of Schneider Electric’s products:

• EcoStruxure™ Process Expert Versions 2020R2, 2021, and 2023 (prior to v4.8.0.5715)
• EcoStruxure™ Process Expert for AVEVA System Platform Versions 2020R2, 2021, and 2023

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-0327?

1. Apply the Fix: Schneider Electric has released a fix in version v4.8.0.5715 for EcoStruxure™ Process Expert 2023. The updated version includes critical patches to address this vulnerability. You can download the updated version from Schneider Electric’s website: Download EcoStruxure™ Process Expert v4.8.0.5715 Important: Ensure that the previous version (v4.8.0.5115) is uninstalled before installing the new update.
2. Mitigation Steps for Users Who Cannot Apply the Fix: If you are unable to immediately apply the update, you should implement the following mitigation strategies:
   • Restrict service permissions: Allow only administrator users to execute critical Windows service utilities, such as the service control (sc.exe) utility.
   • Use Application Control Software: Utilize McAfee Application and Change Control software to restrict the execution of non-whitelisted applications. For guidance, refer to the Cybersecurity Application Note from Schneider Electric.
3. Cybersecurity Best Practices: Schneider Electric recommends the following best practices to further strengthen your cybersecurity posture:
   • Isolate control systems behind firewalls, separate from business networks.
   • Implement physical security controls to prevent unauthorized access to critical infrastructure.
   • Use Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) for remote access and ensure they are regularly updated.

Conclusion: CVE-2025-0327 highlights a critical vulnerability in Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure™ Process Expert and AVEVA System Platform, which could have devastating consequences for industrial automation systems if left unmitigated. While Schneider Electric has released a patch to fix the vulnerability, users are encouraged to apply mitigations if they cannot immediately upgrade to the latest version. Additionally, adopting general cybersecurity best practices is essential to safeguarding these systems against potential threats.

Stay vigilant, and ensure that your systems are properly patched and secured.

For More Information: For detailed information and assistance, you can contact Schneider Electric’s customer support or visit their Cybersecurity Support Portal.