CVE-2025-27378: AES SQL Injection Vulnerability

CVE-2025-27378 Overview

CVE-2025-27378 is a SQL Injection vulnerability affecting Altium AES (Altium Enterprise Server). The vulnerability exists due to an inactive configuration that prevents the latest SQL parsing logic from being applied. When this configuration is not enabled, crafted input may be improperly handled, allowing attackers to inject and execute arbitrary SQL queries against the backend database.

Critical Impact

Unauthenticated attackers can exploit this SQL injection vulnerability over the network to extract sensitive data, modify database contents, or potentially compromise the underlying database server.

Affected Products

• Altium AES (Altium Enterprise Server)

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-01-22 - CVE CVE-2025-27378 published to NVD
• 2026-01-22 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-27378

Vulnerability Analysis

This SQL injection vulnerability stems from improper input validation (CWE-20) within Altium AES. The root cause is a configuration setting that, when left in its default inactive state, prevents the application from utilizing updated SQL parsing and sanitization logic. This creates a gap where user-supplied input is not properly sanitized before being incorporated into SQL queries.

The vulnerability is exploitable over the network without requiring any authentication or user interaction. An attacker can send specially crafted requests containing malicious SQL syntax that bypasses the inadequate input validation. When processed by the application, these queries execute against the database with the privileges of the application's database connection.

Successful exploitation could result in unauthorized access to confidential data stored in the database, modification or deletion of data, and potentially escalation to command execution on the database server depending on the database configuration.

Root Cause

The vulnerability is caused by an inactive configuration setting that prevents the latest SQL parsing logic from being applied. When this protective configuration is not explicitly enabled, the application falls back to legacy input handling that lacks proper sanitization of SQL metacharacters and query structure validation. This represents an improper input validation weakness (CWE-20) where the application fails to adequately validate untrusted input before using it in database operations.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based, requiring no authentication and no user interaction. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability remotely by sending crafted HTTP requests to the vulnerable AES endpoint. The malicious payload contains SQL injection syntax that escapes the intended query context and allows the attacker to execute arbitrary SQL commands.

The exploitation follows the classic SQL injection pattern where user input containing SQL syntax (such as single quotes, UNION statements, or stacked queries) is passed to the application, which then incorporates this input directly into database queries without proper parameterization or escaping.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-27378

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual database queries or errors in application logs indicating SQL syntax errors from malformed injection attempts
• Web server access logs showing requests with SQL injection patterns such as UNION SELECT, ' OR 1=1--, or encoded equivalents
• Database audit logs revealing unexpected data access patterns or privilege escalation attempts
• Anomalous outbound network traffic from the database server that may indicate data exfiltration

Detection Strategies

• Deploy web application firewalls (WAF) with SQL injection detection rules to identify and block common attack patterns
• Implement database activity monitoring to detect unusual query patterns or unauthorized data access
• Review application and web server logs for requests containing SQL metacharacters and injection patterns
• Use intrusion detection systems (IDS) with signatures for SQL injection attacks targeting the affected endpoints

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed database query logging to capture all SQL statements for forensic analysis
• Configure alerts for database errors that may indicate injection attempts
• Monitor for unusual database connection patterns or unexpected query execution times
• Implement real-time log analysis for web application traffic anomalies

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-27378

Immediate Actions Required

• Enable the SQL parsing configuration setting as specified in the Altium security advisory to activate the latest input sanitization logic
• Apply any available patches or updates from Altium that address this vulnerability
• Implement network segmentation to restrict access to the vulnerable AES instance to trusted networks only
• Deploy web application firewall rules to filter SQL injection patterns in incoming requests

Patch Information

Altium has published security information regarding this vulnerability. Administrators should consult the Altium Security Advisory List for the latest patch information and remediation guidance specific to their AES deployment version.

Workarounds

• Enable the SQL parsing configuration that activates the latest input validation logic
• Implement input validation at the network perimeter using a WAF configured with SQL injection protection rules
• Restrict network access to the AES instance to authorized IP addresses and internal networks only
• Use parameterized queries and prepared statements at the application level if custom integrations exist
• Consider placing the vulnerable service behind a reverse proxy with request filtering capabilities