CVE-2025-70981: CordysCRM SQL Injection Vulnerability

CVE-2025-70981 Overview

CVE-2025-70981 is a critical SQL Injection vulnerability affecting CordysCRM version 1.4.1. The vulnerability exists in the employee list query interface (/user/list) and can be exploited through the departmentIds parameter. This flaw allows unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands against the backend database, potentially leading to complete database compromise, data exfiltration, and system takeover.

Critical Impact

Unauthenticated SQL Injection enabling full database access, data theft, and potential remote code execution on database servers.

Affected Products

• CordysCRM version 1.4.1

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-02-12 - CVE CVE-2025-70981 published to NVD
• 2026-02-12 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-70981

Vulnerability Analysis

This SQL Injection vulnerability (CWE-89) occurs due to improper neutralization of special elements used in SQL commands. The affected endpoint /user/list accepts a departmentIds parameter that is directly incorporated into database queries without proper sanitization or parameterization. This allows attackers to manipulate SQL query logic by injecting malicious SQL syntax through the vulnerable parameter.

The vulnerability is particularly severe because it requires no authentication, can be exploited remotely over the network, and requires no user interaction. Successful exploitation grants attackers the ability to read, modify, or delete data from the underlying database, potentially including sensitive user credentials, customer information, and business-critical data.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is the lack of proper input validation and parameterized queries in the employee list query functionality. The departmentIds parameter value is concatenated directly into SQL statements rather than being passed through prepared statements or stored procedures with proper type binding. This fundamental secure coding violation allows attacker-controlled input to alter the intended SQL query structure.

Attack Vector

The attack is conducted over the network against the /user/list endpoint. An attacker can craft malicious HTTP requests containing SQL injection payloads in the departmentIds parameter. Since no authentication is required and the attack complexity is low, threat actors can easily automate exploitation attempts to extract database contents, enumerate table structures, and potentially escalate to operating system command execution depending on database configuration and privileges.

The vulnerability can be exploited through various SQL injection techniques including UNION-based injection for data extraction, blind SQL injection for inference attacks, and potentially stacked queries for data manipulation or command execution.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-70981

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual or malformed requests to the /user/list endpoint containing SQL syntax characters such as single quotes, semicolons, or SQL keywords
• Database error messages in application logs indicating syntax errors or unexpected query behavior
• Abnormal database query patterns including UNION SELECT statements, information_schema queries, or time-based delays
• Evidence of data exfiltration through application responses containing database metadata or unexpected record counts

Detection Strategies

• Deploy Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block SQL injection patterns in the departmentIds parameter
• Implement application-level logging to capture all requests to /user/list with parameter values for forensic analysis
• Configure database activity monitoring to alert on queries containing suspicious patterns or accessing sensitive system tables
• Use SentinelOne Singularity Platform to monitor for post-exploitation activities such as unusual process spawning from database services

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed access logging on web servers handling CordysCRM traffic
• Monitor database server CPU and memory utilization for anomalies indicating injection-based enumeration attacks
• Set up alerting for failed authentication attempts following database queries that may indicate credential harvesting
• Review application and database logs regularly for evidence of reconnaissance or exploitation attempts

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-70981

Immediate Actions Required

• Restrict network access to the CordysCRM application to trusted IP addresses only until a patch is available
• Implement WAF rules to block requests containing SQL injection patterns in the departmentIds parameter
• Disable or restrict access to the /user/list endpoint if not business-critical
• Audit database accounts used by the application and enforce least privilege principles
• Back up all databases and review for signs of compromise or data manipulation

Patch Information

At the time of publication, no official vendor patch has been released. Organizations should monitor the CordysCRM vendor channels for security updates. Technical details and proof-of-concept information are available in the GitHub PoC Repository.

Workarounds

• Apply input validation at the application layer to sanitize the departmentIds parameter before processing
• Deploy a reverse proxy or WAF with SQL injection detection capabilities in front of the CordysCRM application
• Implement network segmentation to isolate database servers from direct internet access
• Consider deploying an intrusion detection system (IDS) to monitor for exploitation attempts

# Example WAF rule to block SQL injection in departmentIds parameter
# ModSecurity example rule
SecRule ARGS:departmentIds "@detectSQLi" \
    "id:100001,\
    phase:2,\
    deny,\
    status:403,\
    log,\
    msg:'SQL Injection attempt detected in departmentIds parameter',\
    tag:'CVE-2025-70981'"