AVEVA Application Server IDE

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1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY CVSS v4 7.2 ATTENTION: Low attack complexity Vendor: AVEVA Equipment: Application Server IDE Vulnerability: Improper Neutralization of Script-Related HTML Tags in a Web Page (Basic XSS)
2. RISK EVALUATION Successful exploitation of this vulnerability could allow an attacker to tamper with help files and inject cross-site scripting (XSS) code.
3. TECHNICAL DETAILS 3.1 AFFECTED PRODUCTS The following versions of AVEVA Application Server are affected: Application Server: Versions 2023 R2 SP1 P02 and prior 3.2 VULNERABILITY OVERVIEW 3.2.1 IMPROPER NEUTRALIZATION OF SCRIPT-RELATED HTML TAGS IN A WEB PAGE (BASIC XSS) CWE-80 The vulnerability, if exploited, could allow an authenticated miscreant (with privilege of “aaConfigTools”) to tamper with App Objects’ help files and persist a cross-site scripting (XSS) injection that when executed by a victim user, can result in horizontal or vertical escalation of privileges. The vulnerability can only be exploited during config-time operations within the IDE component of Application Server. Run-time components and operations are not affected. CVE-2025-8386 has been assigned to this vulnerability. A CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.9 has been calculated; the CVSS vector string is (AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:L/A:L). A CVSS v4 score has also been calculated for CVE-2025-8386. A base score of 7.2 has been calculated; the CVSS vector string is (AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:H/UI:P/VC:H/VI:L/VA:L/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H). 3.3 BACKGROUND CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE SECTORS: Critical Manufacturing COUNTRIES/AREAS DEPLOYED: Worldwide COMPANY HEADQUARTERS LOCATION: United Kingdom 3.4 RESEARCHER AVEVA reported this vulnerability to CISA.
4. MITIGATIONS AVEVA recommends that organizations evaluate the impact of these vulnerabilities based on their operational environment, architecture, and product implementation. Users using affected product versions should apply security updates to mitigate the risk of exploit. All affected versions of the Application Server IDE can be fixed by upgrading to AVEVA System Platform 2023 R2 SP1 P03 or higher. The following general defensive measures are recommended: Audit assigned permissions to ensure that only trusted users are added to the “aaConfigTools” OS Group. For additional information on Application Server OS Security groups and accounts, see https://docs.aveva.com/bundle/sp-install/page/738031.html For more information, see AVEVA’s Security Bulletin AVEVA-2025-005 or AVEVA’s bulletins page. CISA recommends users take defensive measures to minimize the risk of exploitation of this vulnerability, such as: Minimize network exposure for all control system devices and/or systems, ensuring they are not accessible from the internet. Locate control system networks and remote devices behind firewalls and isolating them from business networks. When remote access is required, use more secure methods, such as Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), recognizing VPNs may have vulnerabilities and should be updated to the most current version available. Also recognize VPN is only as secure as the connected devices. CISA reminds organizations to perform proper impact analysis and risk assessment prior to deploying defensive measures. CISA also provides a section for control systems security recommended practices on the ICS webpage on cisa.gov/ics. Several CISA products detailing cyber defense best practices are available for reading and download, including Improving Industrial Control Systems Cybersecurity with Defense-in-Depth Strategies. CISA encourages organizations to implement recommended cybersecurity strategies for proactive defense of ICS assets. Additional mitigation guidance and recommended practices are publicly available on the ICS webpage at cisa.gov/ics in the technical information paper, ICS-TIP-12-146-01B–Targeted Cyber Intrusion Detection and Mitigation Strategies. Organizations observing suspected malicious activity should follow established internal procedures and report findings to CISA for tracking and correlation against other incidents. CISA also recommends users take the following measures to protect themselves from social engineering attacks: Do not click web links or open attachments in unsolicited email messages. Refer to Recognizing and Avoiding Email Scams for more information on avoiding email scams. Refer to Avoiding Social Engineering and Phishing Attacks for more information on social engineering attacks. No known public exploitation specifically targeting this vulnerability has been reported to CISA at this time. This vulnerability is not exploitable remotely.
5. UPDATE HISTORY November 13, 2025: Initial Republication of AVEVA-2025-005