CVE-2025-12514

Executive Summary

CVE-2025-12514 is a critical SQL Injection vulnerability discovered in the Centreon Infra Monitoring - Open-tickets module. The flaw resides in the improper neutralization of special elements used in SQL commands, specifically within the notification rules configuration parameters and the open tickets modules. An authenticated attacker with elevated privileges can exploit this vulnerability to inject arbitrary SQL commands, potentially leading to unauthorized data access, modification, or deletion. The vulnerability affects multiple versions of the Open-tickets module, and while no public proof-of-concept (PoC) or exploit code is currently available, the risk is significant due to the high privileges required and the potential for complete compromise of the Centreon database.

Supply Chain & Package Security

This vulnerability is not related to a package manager (NPM, PyPI, Go, Ruby) but is a direct flaw in the Centreon application code. The Centreon ecosystem is a critical component in many IT infrastructures for monitoring, and a compromise could lead to lateral movement and further exploitation.

CVSS Breakdown & Threat Level

• CVSS Score: 7.2 (High)
• Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
• Attack Vector (AV): Network (N) - The vulnerability can be exploited remotely over the network.
• Attack Complexity (AC): Low (L) - No special conditions are required for exploitation.
• Privileges Required (PR): High (H) - The attacker must have elevated privileges (e.g., administrator-level access to the Centreon interface).
• User Interaction (UI): None (N) - No user interaction is required.
• Scope (S): Unchanged (U) - The vulnerability does not affect resources beyond the vulnerable component.
• Confidentiality (C): High (H) - Complete disclosure of all data in the database.
• Integrity (I): High (H) - Complete modification of data is possible.
• Availability (A): High (H) - Total loss of availability, potentially leading to denial of service.

Threat Level: High. While the EPSS score is 0.0% (indicating low exploitation probability currently), the high CVSS score and the potential for significant impact make this a critical vulnerability to patch.

Deep Dive & Mechanics

The vulnerability is a classic SQL Injection (CWE-89) in the Centreon Open-tickets module. The module likely constructs SQL queries by concatenating user-supplied input from notification rules configuration parameters without proper sanitization or parameterization. An attacker with elevated privileges can manipulate these parameters to inject malicious SQL code.

Mechanism:

1. The attacker, authenticated with high privileges, navigates to the Open-tickets module configuration.
2. They identify a parameter that is used in a SQL query (e.g., a rule name, a filter, or a ticket field).
3. The attacker injects SQL syntax into this parameter, such as ' OR '1'='1 or a more complex payload.
4. The application constructs a SQL query using the unsanitized input.
5. The injected SQL is executed against the Centreon database, allowing the attacker to read, modify, or delete data.

Example (Hypothetical): If the vulnerable code is something like:

SELECT * FROM tickets WHERE rule_name = '$_POST['rule_name']'

An attacker could submit rule_name = '; DROP TABLE tickets; -- to delete the tickets table.

Vulnerable vs. Patched Code

Vulnerable Code (Hypothetical):

// Vulnerable: Direct concatenation of user input
$rule_name = $_POST['rule_name'];
$query = "SELECT * FROM notification_rules WHERE rule_name = '$rule_name'";
$result = mysqli_query($conn, $query);

Patched Code (Hypothetical):

// Patched: Use of prepared statements
$rule_name = $_POST['rule_name'];
$stmt = $conn->prepare("SELECT * FROM notification_rules WHERE rule_name = ?");
$stmt->bind_param("s", $rule_name);
$stmt->execute();
$result = $stmt->get_result();

The patched code uses parameterized queries (prepared statements) which ensure that user input is treated as data, not executable SQL code. This is the standard and effective mitigation against SQL injection.

Exploitation & Lab Setup

Red Team (Exploitation)

Prerequisites:

• Access to a Centreon instance with the Open-tickets module installed (vulnerable version).
• Valid credentials with elevated privileges (e.g., administrator role).

Exploitation Steps:

1. Authenticate: Log in to the Centreon web interface with high-privilege credentials.
2. Navigate: Go to the Open-tickets module configuration (e.g., Configuration > Notifications > Open Tickets).
3. Identify Injection Point: Look for input fields that are likely used in SQL queries (e.g., rule names, ticket filters, or custom parameters).
4. Inject Payload: Enter a SQL injection payload. For example, in a rule name field, enter:

   ' OR 1=1; --
   

5. Observe Results: If the application returns all records or behaves unexpectedly, the injection point is confirmed.
6. Extract Data: Use UNION-based or blind SQL injection techniques to extract data. Example:

   ' UNION SELECT 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 FROM information_schema.tables; --
   

7. Escalate: Once database access is confirmed, attempt to read sensitive tables (e.g., centreon.contact, centreon.auth_tokens) or execute commands via xp_cmdshell (if SQL Server) or INTO OUTFILE (if MySQL).

Note: Since no public exploit code is available, this is a theoretical exploitation guide.

Blue Team (Detection & Defense)

Detection:

• Web Application Firewall (WAF): Deploy WAF rules to block common SQL injection patterns (e.g., ' OR, UNION SELECT, --).
• Database Monitoring: Monitor database logs for unusual queries, especially those containing UNION, OR 1=1, or xp_cmdshell.
• Input Validation: Ensure all user inputs are validated and sanitized on the server side.

Defense:

• Patch Immediately: Upgrade to the patched versions (24.10.5, 24.04.5, 23.10.4).
• Least Privilege: Ensure that Centreon users have only the minimum necessary privileges. The vulnerability requires high privileges, so limiting the number of administrators reduces risk.
• Network Segmentation: Place the Centreon server in a segmented network to limit lateral movement.
• Database Hardening: Use a database user with minimal privileges for the application (e.g., no DROP or CREATE permissions).

Indicators of Compromise (IOCs)

• Network IOCs:
  • HTTP requests containing SQL injection patterns in POST parameters (e.g., rule_name=...' OR 1=1--).
  • Unusual database queries in logs (e.g., SELECT * FROM information_schema.tables).
• Host IOCs:
  • Unexpected database errors in application logs.
  • New or modified files in the Centreon web directory (e.g., webshells).
  • Unusual database connections from the Centreon server to external IPs.
• Database IOCs:
  • New database users or roles.
  • Unauthorized changes to Centreon configuration tables.
  • Large data exports (e.g., SELECT * INTO OUTFILE).

Detection Engineering

YARA Rule

rule CVE_2025_12514_SQLi_Centreon {
    meta:
        description = "Detects SQL injection attempts targeting Centreon Open-tickets module"
        author = "Valters IT"
        date = "2025-04-10"
        reference = "CVE-2025-12514"
    strings:
        $sqli1 = /rule_name\s*=\s*['\"].*['\"]\s*(OR|UNION|SELECT|DROP|INSERT|UPDATE|DELETE)/i
        $sqli2 = /notification_rules.*['\"].*['\"]\s*(OR|UNION|SELECT|DROP|INSERT|UPDATE|DELETE)/i
        $sqli3 = /open_tickets.*['\"].*['\"]\s*(OR|UNION|SELECT|DROP|INSERT|UPDATE|DELETE)/i
    condition:
        any of them
}

Sigma Rule

title: SQL Injection Attempt Against Centreon Open-tickets
id: 8a9b7c6d-5e4f-3a2b-1c0d-9e8f7a6b5c4d
status: experimental
description: Detects SQL injection patterns in HTTP requests to Centreon Open-tickets module
author: Valters IT
date: 2025-04-10
references:
    - https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-12514
logsource:
    category: webserver
    product: apache
    service: http
detection:
    selection:
        cs-method: 'POST'
        cs-uri-query|contains: 
            - 'rule_name'
            - 'notification_rules'
            - 'open_tickets'
        cs-uri-query|re: 
            - "'.*OR.*1=1"
            - "'.*UNION.*SELECT"
            - "'.*DROP.*TABLE"
    condition: selection
falsepositives:
    - Legitimate use of special characters in rule names (unlikely)
level: high

Suricata Rule

alert http $HOME_NET any -> $EXTERNAL_NET any (msg:"CVE-2025-12514 SQL Injection Attempt - Centreon Open-tickets"; flow:to_server,established; content:"POST"; http_method; content:"rule_name"; http_client_body; pcre:"/rule_name\s*=\s*['\"].*['\"]\s*(OR|UNION|SELECT|DROP|INSERT|UPDATE|DELETE)/i"; sid:1000001; rev:1;)

Remediation & Mitigation

Immediate Actions:

1. Patch: Upgrade the Centreon Open-tickets module to the latest patched version:
   • For version 24.10.x: Upgrade to 24.10.5.
   • For version 24.04.x: Upgrade to 24.04.5.
   • For version 23.10.x: Upgrade to 23.10.4.
2. Workaround: If patching is not immediately possible, restrict access to the Centreon web interface to trusted IPs only and disable the Open-tickets module if not in use.

Long-term Mitigations:

• Secure Coding: Implement parameterized queries (prepared statements) in all database interactions.
• Regular Audits: Conduct regular security audits and penetration testing of Centreon and other critical applications.
• User Training: Train administrators on the risks of SQL injection and the importance of input validation.
• Monitoring: Implement continuous monitoring for SQL injection attempts using the provided detection rules.

Valters IT Signature This report was generated by Valters IT Cyber Threat Intelligence Division. For further inquiries, contact threatintel@valtersit.com.