CVE-2025-6724 Overview
CVE-2025-6724 is a SQL injection vulnerability affecting Progress Chef Automate versions earlier than 4.13.295 on Linux x86 platforms. The flaw allows an authenticated attacker to access restricted functionality across multiple Chef Automate services by submitting improperly neutralized inputs that are passed into SQL commands. The weakness is classified under CWE-89 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command). Progress addressed the issue in Chef Automate release 4.13.295.
Critical Impact
An authenticated network attacker can read, modify, or destroy data in backend databases and gain access to restricted Chef Automate functionality, compromising confidentiality, integrity, and availability of automation infrastructure.
Affected Products
- Progress Chef Automate versions earlier than 4.13.295
- Chef Automate deployments running on Linux x86 platform
- Linux kernel-based hosts running vulnerable Chef Automate services
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-09-29 - CVE-2025-6724 published to NVD
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-6724
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability resides in multiple Chef Automate services that construct SQL statements using attacker-controlled input without proper neutralization. Authenticated users can submit crafted payloads through service interfaces, causing the underlying database engine to interpret attacker data as SQL syntax. Because the injection point exists in functionality reachable after authentication with low privileges, any valid Chef Automate account becomes a potential exploitation foothold.
Successful exploitation yields access to restricted functionality and backend data managed by Chef Automate. Chef Automate stores compliance scan results, node configuration data, audit logs, and orchestration metadata. An attacker can query, alter, or delete this data, pivot to other internal services, or escalate access by manipulating authorization-related records.
Root Cause
The root cause is improper neutralization of user-supplied input incorporated into SQL commands. The affected code paths concatenate or interpolate request parameters into queries instead of using parameterized statements or strict input validation. This pattern is the canonical CWE-89 anti-pattern.
Attack Vector
The attack vector is network-based and requires low-privilege authentication with no user interaction. An attacker sends crafted requests to vulnerable Chef Automate endpoints. The injected SQL is executed by the backend database in the security context of the Chef Automate service account, which typically holds broad privileges over the application schema.
No public proof-of-concept exploit is currently available. See the Chef Automate Release Notes for vendor-published technical details.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-6724
Indicators of Compromise
- Anomalous SQL syntax tokens such as UNION SELECT, --, OR 1=1, or stacked queries appearing in Chef Automate HTTP request logs.
- Unexpected database errors, long-running queries, or schema-introspection queries (information_schema, pg_catalog) originating from Chef Automate service accounts.
- Authenticated API requests from unusual source IPs or service accounts accessing endpoints outside their normal usage pattern.
- Outbound connections from the Chef Automate host to unrecognized destinations following authenticated sessions.
Detection Strategies
- Inspect Chef Automate access logs for request parameters containing SQL metacharacters, encoded variants, and time-based payloads such as pg_sleep or WAITFOR DELAY.
- Enable PostgreSQL query logging on the Chef Automate database and alert on syntactically malformed queries or queries referencing system catalogs.
- Deploy a web application firewall in front of Chef Automate with rules tuned for SQL injection patterns on authenticated API routes.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Forward Chef Automate application logs and database audit logs to a centralized SIEM for correlation against authentication events.
- Baseline normal query patterns issued by Chef Automate services and alert on deviations such as new table access or bulk data reads.
- Monitor privileged account activity within Chef Automate for unusual permission changes or new user creations following suspicious requests.
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-6724
Immediate Actions Required
- Upgrade Chef Automate to version 4.13.295 or later on all Linux x86 deployments as the primary remediation.
- Audit existing Chef Automate user accounts and revoke unused or over-privileged credentials to reduce the authenticated attack surface.
- Rotate Chef Automate service credentials, API tokens, and database passwords after patching to invalidate any compromised secrets.
- Review Chef Automate audit logs for the period prior to patching to identify suspicious authenticated requests.
Patch Information
Progress released the fix in Chef Automate 4.13.295. Upgrade instructions and release details are available in the Chef Automate Release Notes. No supported workaround replaces applying the vendor patch.
Workarounds
- Restrict network access to Chef Automate interfaces using firewall rules or a reverse proxy that limits connections to trusted administrative networks.
- Enforce least-privilege role assignments within Chef Automate so that compromised accounts cannot reach sensitive services.
- Place a web application firewall in front of Chef Automate with SQL injection signatures enabled until patching is complete.
# Verify installed Chef Automate version and upgrade to the patched release
sudo chef-automate version
sudo chef-automate upgrade run --version 4.13.295
sudo chef-automate status
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
