An Erlang/OTP vulnerability, initially discovered in April of this year, has been exploited in the wild. This flaw could enable a malicious actor to execute arbitrary code, potentially providing the attacker full access to the host. 

Thomas Richards, Infrastructure Security Practice Director at Black Duck, remarks, “This vulnerability, if exploited, could have severe consequences on the organization, their network, and operations. The attacker would have full control over the system which can result in a compromise of sensitive information and allow them to compromise additional hosts within the network. It would also allow an attacker to disrupt the operations of any connected systems. This is additionally concerning for any critical infrastructure as the disruption could negatively impact large portions of the population. Addressing this vulnerability should be a top priority for any security team responsible for an OT network.” 

Palo Alto Networks has released research detailing observed exploitation attempts, which have been spotted since May 1st, 2025. Activity increased within the first two weeks of May, with 70% of attempts targeting OT environments.

April Lenhard, Principal Product Manager at Qualys, comments, “The real danger with CVE-2025-32433 is that it’s not just an IT vulnerability: it is disproportionately affecting operational technology (OT) networks, and it’s already actively showing up in systems tied to critical infrastructure. Most known compromises involve OT assets that control physical processes like robotics, pumps, valves, or even safety systems. Exploitation could alter sensor readings, trigger outages, introduce safety risks, and cause physical damage. By the time breaches are detected, attackers were often already inside the network through other means and simply moving laterally toward OT systems: this means they are exploiting the growing convergence of IT and OT systems to penetrate critical infrastructure across industries.”