CVE-2025-1708: Endress Meac300-fnade4 SQLi Vulnerability

CVE-2025-1708 Overview

CVE-2025-1708 is a SQL injection vulnerability affecting Endress MEAC300-FNADE4 firmware. The application is vulnerable to SQL injection attacks, allowing an attacker to dump the PostgreSQL database and read its content. This vulnerability enables unauthorized access to sensitive data stored in the device's database through network-based exploitation without requiring authentication.

Critical Impact

Attackers can extract complete database contents from the PostgreSQL instance, potentially exposing sensitive industrial control system configuration data, credentials, and operational information.

Affected Products

• Endress MEAC300-FNADE4 Firmware (all versions)
• Endress MEAC300-FNADE4 Hardware Device

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-07-03 - CVE-2025-1708 published to NVD
• 2026-01-29 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-1708

Vulnerability Analysis

This SQL injection vulnerability (CWE-89) exists in the Endress MEAC300-FNADE4 firmware's web application component. The vulnerability allows remote attackers to inject malicious SQL statements into the application's database queries without requiring any authentication or user interaction. The flaw results in complete compromise of data confidentiality, as attackers can extract the entire contents of the PostgreSQL database.

The industrial control system nature of this device makes this vulnerability particularly concerning, as ICS/SCADA environments often contain sensitive operational data, configuration parameters, and potentially credentials for other connected systems.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper neutralization of special elements used in SQL commands (CWE-89: SQL Injection). The firmware fails to properly sanitize or parameterize user-supplied input before incorporating it into SQL queries executed against the PostgreSQL database. This allows attackers to break out of the intended query structure and execute arbitrary SQL commands.

Attack Vector

The attack is network-accessible and requires no authentication or user interaction. An attacker can remotely send crafted HTTP requests containing malicious SQL payloads to the affected device's web interface. The attack complexity is low, making it accessible to attackers with basic SQL injection knowledge.

The exploitation process involves identifying input parameters that are passed to SQL queries, then injecting SQL syntax to manipulate query behavior. Common techniques include UNION-based injection to extract data from other tables, or stacked queries to execute multiple statements. Given the PostgreSQL backend, attackers could leverage database-specific functions like pg_dump equivalents or access system catalogs to enumerate the entire database schema and contents.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-1708

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual SQL error messages in web server logs containing PostgreSQL-specific syntax errors
• HTTP requests with common SQL injection payloads such as single quotes, UNION SELECT, OR 1=1, or PostgreSQL-specific functions
• Unexpectedly large response sizes from the web application indicating data exfiltration
• Database query logs showing unauthorized SELECT statements accessing multiple tables
• Network traffic containing PostgreSQL dump data or large data transfers from the device

Detection Strategies

• Implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block SQL injection patterns in HTTP requests
• Monitor for PostgreSQL error strings in HTTP responses that may indicate injection attempts
• Deploy intrusion detection system (IDS) signatures for common SQL injection attack patterns
• Analyze network traffic for unusually large data transfers from the MEAC300-FNADE4 device

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed logging on the MEAC300-FNADE4 device if supported, focusing on web application access logs
• Implement network monitoring to detect anomalous outbound data transfers from ICS devices
• Set up alerts for multiple failed or suspicious HTTP requests to the device's web interface
• Review database query logs periodically for signs of unauthorized data access

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-1708

Immediate Actions Required

• Isolate affected MEAC300-FNADE4 devices from untrusted networks immediately
• Implement network segmentation to restrict access to the device's web interface
• Deploy firewall rules to limit network access to only authorized management hosts
• Review database contents for evidence of unauthorized access and consider credential rotation

Patch Information

Consult the SICK PSIRT Resource for the latest security advisories and firmware updates. Detailed vulnerability information is available in the SICK CSAF Security Advisory (PDF). Organizations should follow CISA ICS Recommended Practices for securing industrial control systems.

Workarounds

• Place the MEAC300-FNADE4 device behind a firewall and restrict web interface access to trusted IP addresses only
• Implement a reverse proxy with SQL injection filtering capabilities in front of the device
• Disable the web interface entirely if not operationally required
• Use VPN or other secure access methods for remote administration

# Example firewall rules to restrict access to the device (adjust IP addresses as needed)
# Allow only management network to access the device
iptables -A INPUT -s 10.0.0.0/24 -d <DEVICE_IP> -p tcp --dport 80 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -s 10.0.0.0/24 -d <DEVICE_IP> -p tcp --dport 443 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -d <DEVICE_IP> -p tcp --dport 80 -j DROP
iptables -A INPUT -d <DEVICE_IP> -p tcp --dport 443 -j DROP