CVE-2025-25064: Zimbra Collaboration Suite SQL Injection

CVE-2025-25064 Overview

CVE-2025-25064 is a SQL injection vulnerability affecting the ZimbraSync Service SOAP endpoint in Zimbra Collaboration. The vulnerability exists due to insufficient sanitization of a user-supplied parameter in versions 10.0.x before 10.0.12 and 10.1.x before 10.1.4. Authenticated attackers can exploit this vulnerability by manipulating a specific parameter in the request, allowing them to inject arbitrary SQL queries that could retrieve email metadata.

Critical Impact

Authenticated attackers can inject arbitrary SQL queries to access sensitive email metadata, potentially compromising confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the Zimbra Collaboration platform.

Affected Products

• Synacor Zimbra Collaboration Suite 10.0.x before 10.0.12
• Synacor Zimbra Collaboration Suite 10.1.x before 10.1.4

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-02-03 - CVE-2025-25064 published to NVD
• 2025-06-11 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-25064

Vulnerability Analysis

This SQL injection vulnerability (CWE-89) resides in the ZimbraSync Service SOAP endpoint, which is responsible for handling synchronization requests between Zimbra Collaboration and client applications. The vulnerability arises from a failure to properly sanitize user-supplied input before incorporating it into SQL queries executed against the backend database.

When an authenticated user sends a crafted SOAP request to the ZimbraSync Service endpoint, the vulnerable parameter is processed without adequate input validation or parameterized query handling. This allows an attacker to break out of the intended query structure and inject malicious SQL statements.

The exploitation requires valid authentication credentials, limiting the attack surface to authenticated users. However, once exploited, the vulnerability grants unauthorized access to email metadata stored in the database, which may include sensitive information such as sender addresses, recipients, subject lines, timestamps, and message identifiers.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2025-25064 is insufficient input sanitization in the ZimbraSync Service SOAP endpoint. User-supplied parameters are concatenated directly into SQL queries without proper escaping, parameterization, or input validation. This classic SQL injection pattern allows attackers to modify the structure and logic of database queries by inserting SQL metacharacters and commands into the vulnerable parameter.

Attack Vector

The attack is network-based, requiring authenticated access to the Zimbra Collaboration platform. An attacker with valid credentials can craft malicious SOAP requests targeting the ZimbraSync Service endpoint. By manipulating the vulnerable parameter with SQL injection payloads, the attacker can:

1. Extract email metadata from the database
2. Potentially modify database records depending on the query context
3. Enumerate database structure and contents through error-based or blind SQL injection techniques

The vulnerability mechanism involves injecting SQL commands through the ZimbraSync Service SOAP endpoint. When processing synchronization requests, the application fails to properly sanitize user input before constructing database queries. Attackers can exploit this by crafting SOAP requests with malicious SQL payloads in the vulnerable parameter. For detailed technical information, refer to the Zimbra Security Advisories.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-25064

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual SQL syntax patterns in ZimbraSync Service access logs
• Abnormal SOAP requests containing SQL metacharacters (single quotes, double dashes, semicolons, UNION statements)
• Unexpected database query errors or timeouts associated with synchronization operations
• Evidence of email metadata access by unauthorized accounts

Detection Strategies

• Monitor ZimbraSync Service logs for SOAP requests containing SQL injection patterns such as UNION SELECT, OR 1=1, comment sequences (--, /*), or stacked queries
• Deploy web application firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block SQL injection attempts targeting the ZimbraSync endpoint
• Enable database query auditing to identify unusual or unauthorized queries against email metadata tables
• Implement network traffic analysis to detect anomalous SOAP request patterns

Monitoring Recommendations

• Configure alerting for SQL error messages in application logs that may indicate injection attempts
• Monitor authentication logs for unusual login patterns followed by ZimbraSync Service activity
• Establish baseline metrics for normal ZimbraSync SOAP traffic volume and alert on deviations
• Review database audit logs regularly for unauthorized data access patterns

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-25064

Immediate Actions Required

• Upgrade Zimbra Collaboration 10.0.x to version 10.0.12 or later immediately
• Upgrade Zimbra Collaboration 10.1.x to version 10.1.4 or later immediately
• Review access logs for evidence of exploitation prior to patching
• Conduct a security assessment to identify any data that may have been compromised

Patch Information

Synacor has released security patches addressing this vulnerability. Organizations running affected versions should apply the following updates:

• Zimbra Collaboration 10.0.x: Upgrade to version 10.0.12 or later. See Zimbra 10.0.12 Security Fixes for details.
• Zimbra Collaboration 10.1.x: Upgrade to version 10.1.4 or later. See Zimbra 10.1.4 Security Fixes for details.

For complete security advisory information, visit the Zimbra Security Advisories page.

Workarounds

• Implement network-level access controls to restrict access to the ZimbraSync Service endpoint to trusted networks only
• Deploy a web application firewall (WAF) with SQL injection detection rules in front of the Zimbra Collaboration server
• Consider temporarily disabling the ZimbraSync Service if not required for business operations until patching is complete
• Implement strict authentication policies and monitor for suspicious account activity

# Example: Restrict access to ZimbraSync Service using iptables
# Allow ZimbraSync only from trusted internal networks
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 443 -s 10.0.0.0/8 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 443 -s 192.168.0.0/16 -j ACCEPT
# Note: Adjust networks and ports according to your environment
# This is a temporary mitigation - patching is the recommended solution