Severe Vulnerabilities in Consilium CS5000 Fire Panels Allow Remote System Takeover

Two severe cybersecurity vulnerabilities have been disclosed in the Consilium Safety CS5000 Fire Panel, a widely deployed industrial control system integral to fire safety across sectors like commercial facilities, healthcare, transportation, and government services.

The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued alert ICSA-25-148-03 on May 29, 2025, warning that these flaws could enable remote attackers to gain high-level access and potentially render fire panels non-functional, posing significant risks to safety-critical environments.

Technical Breakdown of Vulnerabilities

Initialization of a Resource with an Insecure Default

According to the report, the first vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2025-41438, stems from the presence of a default high-privilege account on all CS5000 units.

Although users can technically change this account by SSHing into the device, research shows the default credentials remain unchanged in nearly all real-world installations.

This account is not root but has permissions sufficient to disrupt or disable the fire panel. The flaw is rated critical, with a CVSS v3.1 score of 9.8 and a CVSS v4 score of 9.3, reflecting its ease of exploitation and severe potential impact.

CVSS v3.1 Vector:
AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVSS v4 Vector:
AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

Use of Hard-Coded Credentials

The second vulnerability, CVE-2025-46352, involves a hard-coded password embedded within the VNC server binary of the CS5000.

This password cannot be changed, granting anyone who knows it full remote access to the panel’s user interface.

Attackers exploiting this flaw could remotely operate or disable the fire panel, creating serious safety and operational risks.

This vulnerability also carries a CVSS v3.1 score of 9.8 and a CVSS v4 score of 9.3.

Vendor Response and Mitigation Guidance

Consilium Safety has confirmed that no patches or firmware updates are planned for the CS5000 Fire Panel, citing the device’s legacy status.

Instead, the company recommends upgrading to newer fire panels manufactured after July 1, 2024, which incorporate secure-by-design principles and eliminate these default credential issues.

For organizations unable to upgrade immediately, CISA and security experts recommend the following compensating controls:

• Isolate fire panels from internet exposure and place them behind firewalls.
• Segment control system networks from business environments.
• Restrict physical and administrative access to trusted personnel only.
• Use up-to-date VPNs for any required remote access, recognizing that VPNs themselves must be properly secured and patched.
• Monitor and audit all access to the fire panel, and establish incident response procedures.

Real-World Impact and Industry Implications

The vulnerabilities in the CS5000 Fire Panel highlight a broader challenge in industrial control system (ICS) security: legacy devices, once considered secure by obscurity, are now prime targets for remote attacks.

With no vendor-provided fixes, organizations must rely on network segmentation, physical controls, and strict access management to mitigate risk.

The potential consequences of exploitation include disabling fire detection, triggering false alarms, or compromising compliance with safety regulations.

Attack Scenarios

• Internet-Exposed Panels: Attackers can rapidly compromise panels accessible via SSH or VNC with default or hard-coded credentials.
• Insider Threats: Staff or vendors with knowledge of credential structures could sabotage or disrupt operations.
• Physical Attacks: On-site attackers could exploit these flaws for malicious purposes.

The Path Forward:

Organizations face a stark choice: undertake the cost and complexity of upgrading to secure hardware, or accept the ongoing risk and operational limitations of mitigation-only strategies.

While compensating controls can reduce exposure, only a full upgrade to modern, secure fire panels can eliminate these critical vulnerabilities.

The CS5000 Fire Panel’s vulnerabilities exemplify the urgent need for proactive cybersecurity in legacy ICS environments.

Asset owners must act decisively—either by upgrading or by rigorously containing risk through best-practice security controls.

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