CVE-2019-25704: Marmotech Kados SQL Injection Vulnerability

CVE-2019-25704 Overview

CVE-2019-25704 is a SQL injection vulnerability affecting Marmotech Kados R10 GreenBee. The vulnerability exists in the filter_user_mail parameter, which fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input before incorporating it into SQL queries. This allows unauthenticated remote attackers to inject malicious SQL code and manipulate database queries, potentially leading to unauthorized data extraction, modification, or deletion.

Critical Impact

Attackers can exploit this SQL injection vulnerability to extract sensitive database information, modify application data, or potentially compromise the underlying database server through crafted requests to the filter_user_mail parameter.

Affected Products

• Marmotech Kados R10 GreenBee

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-04-05 - CVE-2019-25704 published to NVD
• 2026-04-07 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2019-25704

Vulnerability Analysis

This SQL injection vulnerability (CWE-89) occurs when the Kados R10 GreenBee application processes user input through the filter_user_mail parameter without adequate sanitization or parameterized queries. When a user submits data via this parameter, the application directly concatenates the input into SQL statements, allowing attackers to break out of the intended query structure and execute arbitrary SQL commands.

The network-accessible attack vector means this vulnerability can be exploited remotely without requiring authentication or user interaction. Successful exploitation could result in high confidentiality impact through data exfiltration, and limited integrity impact through data manipulation capabilities.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper input validation and the absence of parameterized queries or prepared statements when handling the filter_user_mail parameter. The application directly interpolates user-controlled data into SQL query strings, enabling injection attacks. This is a classic example of CWE-89: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command.

Attack Vector

The vulnerability is exploited via network requests targeting the filter_user_mail parameter. An attacker can craft HTTP requests containing SQL injection payloads that manipulate the backend database queries. The attack does not require prior authentication, making it accessible to any remote attacker who can reach the vulnerable endpoint.

Exploitation techniques may include:

• Union-based SQL injection to extract data from other tables
• Boolean-based blind injection to infer database contents
• Time-based blind injection when error messages are suppressed
• Error-based injection to extract information through database error messages

For detailed exploitation techniques, refer to the Exploit-DB entry #46505 and the VulnCheck SQL Injection Advisory.

Detection Methods for CVE-2019-25704

Indicators of Compromise

• HTTP requests containing SQL syntax patterns in the filter_user_mail parameter (e.g., ' OR 1=1--, UNION SELECT, ' AND '1'='1)
• Unusual database query errors appearing in application or web server logs
• Unexpected database activity or queries accessing tables outside normal application behavior
• Evidence of data exfiltration or unusual outbound data transfers from the database server

Detection Strategies

• Deploy Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block SQL injection patterns in HTTP parameters
• Configure database activity monitoring to alert on anomalous query patterns or unauthorized data access
• Implement intrusion detection system (IDS) signatures for common SQL injection attack signatures targeting the filter_user_mail parameter
• Enable verbose logging on the Kados application and database to capture suspicious query attempts

Monitoring Recommendations

• Monitor web server access logs for requests containing SQL metacharacters (', ", --, /*, */, UNION, SELECT) in query parameters
• Set up alerts for database authentication failures or privilege escalation attempts
• Track unusual data access patterns, particularly bulk data reads from sensitive tables
• Review application error logs for SQL syntax errors that may indicate injection attempts

How to Mitigate CVE-2019-25704

Immediate Actions Required

• Restrict network access to the Kados R10 GreenBee application to trusted IP addresses only
• Deploy a Web Application Firewall with SQL injection protection enabled in front of the application
• Review and audit database privileges to ensure the application uses least-privilege database accounts
• Consider taking the vulnerable application offline until a patch is available or compensating controls are in place

Patch Information

Consult the vendor for patch availability. Review the SourceForge Project Kados page and Kados Overview Website for any security updates or newer versions that address this vulnerability.

Workarounds

• Implement input validation at the application layer to sanitize the filter_user_mail parameter, rejecting or escaping SQL metacharacters
• Use a reverse proxy or WAF to filter malicious requests before they reach the application
• Apply database-level restrictions to limit the impact of successful exploitation (e.g., read-only accounts, restricted table access)
• If source code access is available, modify the application to use parameterized queries or prepared statements for all database interactions

# Example WAF rule to block SQL injection patterns (ModSecurity)
SecRule ARGS:filter_user_mail "@detectSQLi" \
    "id:1001,\
    phase:2,\
    deny,\
    status:403,\
    msg:'SQL Injection Attempt Detected in filter_user_mail',\
    log,\
    auditlog"