CVE-2018-25394: Kados R10 GreenBee SQL Injection Flaw

CVE-2018-25394 Overview

CVE-2018-25394 is an SQL injection vulnerability in Kados R10 GreenBee. The flaw resides in the boards_buttons/update_release.php script, where the release_id parameter is concatenated directly into SQL statements without sanitization. Unauthenticated attackers can send a crafted GET request with a UNION-based payload to execute arbitrary SQL queries against the backend database. Successful exploitation enables extraction of sensitive data including the current database user, database name, and DBMS version. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-89 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command).

Critical Impact
Unauthenticated remote attackers can extract sensitive database contents from Kados R10 GreenBee installations through a single crafted HTTP GET request.

Affected Products

Kados R10 GreenBee
boards_buttons/update_release.php endpoint
Installations exposing the affected script to untrusted networks

Discovery Timeline

2026-05-29 - CVE-2018-25394 published to NVD
2026-05-29 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2018-25394

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability exists in the update_release.php script within the boards_buttons directory of Kados R10 GreenBee. The application accepts a release_id parameter from GET requests and inserts the value directly into an SQL query string. Because the input is neither validated nor parameterized, attackers can break out of the intended query context and append arbitrary SQL clauses.

The endpoint requires no authentication, making the attack reachable by any client that can issue HTTP requests to the application. A UNION-based payload returns attacker-controlled columns alongside legitimate query results, exposing database metadata and stored records. See the VulnCheck Advisory for Kados SQLi and Exploit-DB entry #45617 for technical detail.

Root Cause

The root cause is direct string concatenation of user-supplied input into SQL statements. The application fails to use prepared statements, parameterized queries, or input validation routines for the release_id parameter. Any attempt to call functions such as current_user(), database(), or version() through a UNION SELECT clause returns DBMS-level information to the attacker.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based and requires no privileges or user interaction. An attacker issues a GET request to update_release.php with a UNION-based SQL payload appended to the release_id parameter. The injected query executes within the database context used by the web application, exposing schema details and stored records.

No verified exploit code is published in this article. The vulnerability mechanism is described in prose; see the Exploit-DB entry #45617 for the public proof-of-concept.

Detection Methods for CVE-2018-25394

Indicators of Compromise

HTTP GET requests to /boards_buttons/update_release.php containing SQL keywords such as UNION, SELECT, CONCAT, or INFORMATION_SCHEMA in the release_id parameter.
URL-encoded characters such as %27 (single quote), %20 (space), and comment sequences like -- or /* appearing in the release_id value.
Web server logs showing repeated requests to the endpoint from a single source with varying parameter payloads, indicative of automated SQLi tooling such as sqlmap.

Detection Strategies

Deploy web application firewall (WAF) rules that inspect query strings to update_release.php for SQL metacharacters and UNION-based patterns.
Enable database query logging and alert on queries that reference release_id alongside system functions like version(), current_user(), or database().
Correlate HTTP access logs with database audit logs to identify anomalous SELECT statements originating from the web application service account.

Monitoring Recommendations

Monitor outbound traffic from the database host for unexpected data egress that may follow successful injection.
Track HTTP response sizes for update_release.php requests; UNION-based extraction commonly produces atypically large or structured responses.
Review authentication logs for accounts whose credentials may have been exposed through database extraction.

How to Mitigate CVE-2018-25394

Immediate Actions Required

Restrict network access to the Kados R10 GreenBee application, particularly the boards_buttons/update_release.php endpoint, to trusted internal sources only.
Place the application behind a WAF configured to block SQL injection patterns targeting the release_id parameter.
Rotate database credentials and any secrets that may have been exposed through prior exploitation attempts.
Audit database accounts used by the application and reduce their privileges to the minimum required for normal operation.

Patch Information

No official vendor patch is referenced in the available advisory data. Consult the Kados Official Website and the SourceForge Project Kados page for any vendor-supplied updates or successor releases. Where no patch is available, organizations should consider decommissioning the affected application or applying compensating controls.

Workarounds

Block external access to update_release.php at the reverse proxy or firewall layer until a patched version is deployed.
Modify the application source to replace direct concatenation with parameterized queries that bind release_id as an integer value.
Apply server-side input validation to reject any release_id value that is not a strictly numeric token.
Run the database service under a least-privilege account that cannot read sensitive tables or system catalogs beyond what the application requires.

bash

# Example reverse-proxy block (nginx) to deny external access to the vulnerable endpoint
location ~* /boards_buttons/update_release\.php$ {
    allow 10.0.0.0/8;
    deny all;
}