Critical Vulnerabilities in Johnson Controls iSTAR Devices Expose Critical Infrastructure—What You Need to Know
In December 2025, Johnson Controls disclosed two critical vulnerabilities (CVE-2025-43875, CVE-2025-43876) affecting its iSTAR Ultra and Edge G2 access control devices worldwide. These vulnerabilities—improper neutralization of special elements used in OS commands (CWE-78)—can be exploited remotely with low complexity and limited privileges, potentially granting attackers unauthorized access to devices deployed across critical sectors, including commercial facilities, manufacturing, energy, transportation, and government. There are currently no reports of active exploitation, but if leveraged, these flaws could compromise physical security and facility operations. This incident underscores the persistent cybersecurity challenges in operational technology and building automation environments. The disclosure highlights an urgent need for regular patching, segregation of critical controls, and adoption of defensive measures, especially as threat actors increasingly target industrial and physical security systems with potentially far-reaching consequences.
Kill Chain
