CVE-2025-26241 Overview
CVE-2025-26241 is a SQL injection vulnerability in the Search functionality of the tickets.php page in osTicket version 1.17.5 and earlier. Authenticated attackers can execute arbitrary SQL commands by supplying crafted values through the keywords and topic_id URL parameters. The flaw stems from improper sanitization when these parameters are combined within the ticket search query. Successful exploitation allows attackers to read sensitive ticket data, extract user records, and manipulate database contents accessible to the osTicket application account.
Critical Impact
Authenticated attackers can extract confidential support ticket data, user credentials, and internal correspondence stored in the osTicket database.
Affected Products
- osTicket versions up to and including 1.17.5
- osTicket self-hosted deployments running the vulnerable tickets.php component
- osTicket instances exposing the staff search interface to authenticated users
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-05-05 - CVE-2025-26241 published to the National Vulnerability Database
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-26241
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability resides in the ticket search handler within tickets.php. When staff users search tickets, the application accepts keywords and topic_id parameters from the query string. These inputs feed into a dynamically constructed SQL query without adequate parameterization. When both parameters are supplied together, the sanitization logic fails to neutralize SQL metacharacters, permitting query structure manipulation.
The weakness maps to CWE-89: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command. An authenticated attacker can inject UNION-based or boolean-based payloads to extract arbitrary rows from the underlying database. Because osTicket stores support tickets, staff credentials, and API keys in the same database, the blast radius extends beyond the search context.
Root Cause
The root cause is the concatenation of user-controlled parameter values into the SQL statement used by the search feature. osTicket applies filtering that handles each parameter in isolation, but the combined keywords and topic_id code path skips the prepared statement pattern used elsewhere. This inconsistent handling allows an attacker to bypass input validation and inject syntactically valid SQL fragments.
Attack Vector
Exploitation requires authenticated access to the osTicket staff interface. The attacker sends an HTTP GET request to tickets.php with malicious payloads placed in the keywords and topic_id parameters. The BackBox research team documented a working bypass technique using this parameter combination. Refer to the BackBox SQL Injection Bypass advisory for the technical write-up describing how the injection is triggered without additional pre-conditions.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-26241
Indicators of Compromise
- HTTP requests to tickets.php containing SQL keywords such as UNION, SELECT, SLEEP, or INFORMATION_SCHEMA inside the keywords parameter
- Unusual combinations of topic_id values that include quotes, comments (--, #), or hexadecimal encodings
- Web server access logs showing repeated tickets.php requests from a single authenticated session with encoded payloads
- Database error entries referencing the ost_ticket tables during search operations
Detection Strategies
- Deploy web application firewall rules that inspect keywords and topic_id parameters for SQL injection signatures before requests reach osTicket
- Enable MySQL general query logging on the osTicket database and alert on queries containing UNION SELECT originating from the ticket search code path
- Correlate staff account authentications with subsequent anomalous search volume to identify credential misuse
Monitoring Recommendations
- Continuously monitor osTicket application logs for HTTP 500 responses tied to the search endpoint, which often indicate injection probing
- Track outbound data volume from the osTicket database server to detect bulk exfiltration following successful injection
- Alert on new or modified staff accounts created shortly after suspicious search activity
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-26241
Immediate Actions Required
- Upgrade osTicket to a version later than 1.17.5 once a fixed release is available from the vendor
- Restrict staff panel access to trusted networks using IP allowlists or VPN gating
- Rotate osTicket staff credentials and API keys if injection activity is suspected in historical logs
- Review database user privileges and remove any unnecessary write or administrative rights from the osTicket application account
Patch Information
At the time of publication, no vendor advisory URL is listed in the NVD entry for CVE-2025-26241. Administrators should monitor the osTicket project releases for a patched version addressing the tickets.php search handler and apply updates as soon as they are available.
Workarounds
- Place osTicket behind a web application firewall configured with strict SQL injection rulesets targeting the keywords and topic_id parameters
- Temporarily disable or restrict access to the ticket search feature for lower-privilege staff accounts until a patch is applied
- Enforce least-privilege database credentials so the osTicket process cannot access tables outside its required scope
# Example ModSecurity rule blocking SQLi patterns in osTicket search parameters
SecRule ARGS:keywords|ARGS:topic_id "@rx (?i)(union(\s|/\*.*\*/)+select|sleep\s*\(|information_schema|--|#)" \
"id:1002605,phase:2,deny,status:403,log,msg:'osTicket CVE-2025-26241 SQLi attempt'"
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
