CVE-2025-53639: Metersphere SQL Injection Vulnerability

CVE-2025-53639 Overview

MeterSphere, an open source continuous testing platform, contains a SQL Injection vulnerability in versions prior to 3.6.5-lts. The sortField parameter in certain API endpoints lacks proper validation and sanitization, allowing attackers to inject and execute arbitrary SQL statements through the sorting functionality. This SQL Injection flaw (CWE-89) enables malicious actors to manipulate database queries, potentially compromising the integrity and availability of the application's database.

Critical Impact

Successful exploitation of this vulnerability could result in modification or deletion of database contents, with potential full compromise of the application's database integrity and availability.

Affected Products

• MeterSphere versions prior to 3.6.5-lts
• MeterSphere LTS release line (all versions before the fix)

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-07-14 - CVE-2025-53639 published to NVD
• 2025-09-11 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-53639

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as SQL Injection (CWE-89), a critical class of web application security flaws. The vulnerable component resides in certain API endpoints of MeterSphere where the sortField parameter is processed without adequate input validation or sanitization. When users submit requests containing sorting parameters, the application directly incorporates these values into SQL queries without proper escaping or parameterization.

The attack requires network access and low-level privileges (authenticated user), but once those conditions are met, exploitation is straightforward with no user interaction required. The impact is significant for database integrity and availability, as attackers can modify or delete database contents, though confidentiality impact is limited in this particular scenario.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is improper input validation of the sortField parameter before its inclusion in SQL queries. The application fails to sanitize user-supplied input or use parameterized queries for the sorting functionality, allowing malicious SQL code to be executed directly against the database. This represents a fundamental secure coding failure where dynamic SQL query construction is performed with untrusted data.

Attack Vector

The attack is executed over the network against vulnerable MeterSphere instances. An authenticated attacker can craft malicious HTTP requests to API endpoints that accept the sortField parameter. By manipulating this parameter with SQL injection payloads, the attacker can alter the intended SQL query structure to execute unauthorized database operations.

The exploitation technique involves appending SQL syntax to the sorting parameter value, which gets concatenated into the ORDER BY clause or similar SQL constructs. This allows for blind SQL injection techniques to extract data, UPDATE/DELETE operations to modify records, or chained queries to execute additional malicious statements depending on the database configuration.

For detailed technical information regarding exploitation mechanics, refer to the GitHub Security Advisory.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-53639

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual SQL syntax patterns in API request logs, particularly in sortField parameters
• Database error messages or exceptions logged from sorting-related operations
• Unexpected database modifications or deletions without corresponding legitimate user actions
• HTTP requests containing SQL keywords (SELECT, UPDATE, DELETE, UNION, etc.) in sorting parameters

Detection Strategies

• Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect SQL injection patterns in HTTP parameters
• Deploy database activity monitoring to identify anomalous query patterns or unauthorized data modifications
• Enable detailed logging on API endpoints that process sorting parameters and analyze for injection attempts
• Use application security testing tools to scan for SQL injection vulnerabilities in the sorting functionality

Monitoring Recommendations

• Monitor application and database logs for SQL syntax errors that may indicate injection attempts
• Set up alerts for unusual database activity patterns such as bulk data modifications or schema changes
• Track authentication patterns for accounts making suspicious API requests with malformed sorting parameters
• Implement real-time monitoring of API endpoints for requests containing known SQL injection signatures

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-53639

Immediate Actions Required

• Upgrade MeterSphere to version 3.6.5-lts or later immediately
• Review database audit logs for signs of exploitation prior to patching
• Implement WAF rules to block SQL injection patterns in API parameters as a temporary measure
• Restrict network access to MeterSphere instances to trusted networks where possible

Patch Information

The vulnerability is fixed in MeterSphere version 3.6.5-lts. Organizations should upgrade to this version or later to remediate the vulnerability. The patch implements proper input validation and sanitization for the sortField parameter, preventing SQL injection attacks through the sorting functionality.

For official patch details and download information, see the MeterSphere Security Advisory on GitHub.

Workarounds

• Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) configured to detect and block SQL injection attempts in request parameters
• Implement network segmentation to limit access to MeterSphere instances from untrusted networks
• Apply the principle of least privilege to database accounts used by MeterSphere to minimize potential damage from exploitation
• Monitor and restrict which authenticated users have access to API endpoints with sorting functionality

# Example WAF rule concept for blocking SQL injection in sortField parameter
# Implementation varies by WAF platform - consult your vendor documentation
# Block requests containing common SQL injection patterns in sorting parameters
SecRule ARGS:sortField "@rx (?i)(union|select|insert|update|delete|drop|--|;)" \
    "id:100001,phase:2,deny,status:403,msg:'Potential SQL Injection in sortField parameter'"