CVE-2026-25076: Anchore Enterprise SQL Injection Flaw

CVE-2026-25076 Overview

CVE-2026-25076 is a SQL Injection vulnerability affecting Anchore Enterprise versions prior to 5.25.1. The vulnerability exists in the GraphQL Reports API, where an authenticated attacker with access to the GraphQL API can inject arbitrary SQL instructions. Successful exploitation allows attackers to modify data contained within the Anchore Enterprise database, potentially compromising the integrity of container security scanning results and policy configurations.

Critical Impact
An authenticated attacker can execute arbitrary SQL commands through the GraphQL Reports API, enabling unauthorized modification of database contents including security scan results, vulnerability data, and policy configurations.

Affected Products

Anchore Enterprise versions prior to 5.25.1
Anchore Enterprise GraphQL Reports API component
Systems exposing the GraphQL API on adjacent networks

Discovery Timeline

2026-03-13 - CVE-2026-25076 published to NVD
2026-03-16 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-25076

Vulnerability Analysis

This SQL Injection vulnerability (CWE-89) resides in the GraphQL Reports API of Anchore Enterprise. The vulnerability requires adjacent network access and low-privilege authentication to exploit, making it accessible to any authenticated user who can reach the GraphQL API endpoint. The attack does not require user interaction and can result in high confidentiality and integrity impact to the underlying database.

The GraphQL Reports API fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input before incorporating it into SQL queries. This allows authenticated attackers to craft malicious GraphQL queries containing SQL injection payloads that are executed directly against the Anchore Enterprise database. The vulnerability specifically affects reporting functionality, where user-controlled parameters are passed unsafely to database queries.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2026-25076 is improper input validation and lack of parameterized queries in the GraphQL Reports API. User-supplied input from GraphQL query parameters is directly concatenated into SQL statements without proper sanitization or the use of prepared statements. This fundamental flaw in input handling allows SQL syntax to be injected and interpreted as part of the database query rather than as data.

Attack Vector

The attack vector requires adjacent network access (meaning the attacker must be on the same network segment or have network adjacency to the target system) and authenticated access to the GraphQL API. Once authenticated, an attacker can submit specially crafted GraphQL queries to the Reports API endpoint. The malicious input bypasses any front-end validation and is processed by the backend SQL query engine.

The exploitation flow involves:

Authenticating to the Anchore Enterprise platform with valid credentials
Accessing the GraphQL Reports API endpoint
Crafting GraphQL queries with embedded SQL injection payloads in report parameters
Submitting the malicious queries to manipulate database contents

The vulnerability allows modification of database records but does not directly impact system availability according to the CVSS assessment. For detailed technical information, see the VulnCheck SQL Injection Advisory.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-25076

Indicators of Compromise

Unusual or malformed GraphQL queries to the Reports API endpoint containing SQL syntax characters (e.g., ', ", ;, --, UNION, SELECT)
Database query logs showing unexpected SQL statements or modifications not initiated through normal application workflows
Anomalous modifications to scan results, vulnerability records, or policy configurations in the Anchore database
Authentication events followed by rapid API calls to the GraphQL Reports endpoint

Detection Strategies

Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect SQL injection patterns in GraphQL requests
Enable detailed logging for all GraphQL API requests, particularly those targeting the Reports API
Monitor database audit logs for unauthorized UPDATE, INSERT, or DELETE operations
Deploy runtime application security monitoring to detect SQL injection attempts at the application layer

Monitoring Recommendations

Configure alerting for GraphQL queries containing common SQL injection keywords and escape characters
Establish baseline metrics for normal Reports API usage patterns and alert on deviations
Monitor for failed authentication attempts followed by successful API access to detect credential compromise
Review database integrity periodically by comparing expected records against actual database contents

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-25076

Immediate Actions Required

Upgrade Anchore Enterprise to version 5.25.1 or later immediately
If immediate patching is not possible, restrict network access to the GraphQL API to trusted segments only
Review database audit logs for any signs of exploitation or unauthorized modifications
Implement additional authentication controls or API gateway restrictions for the GraphQL endpoint

Patch Information

Anchore has addressed this vulnerability in Anchore Enterprise version 5.25.1. Organizations should upgrade to this version or later to fully remediate the SQL injection vulnerability. Detailed release information is available in the Anchore Release Notes 5.25.1. The Anchore Platform Overview provides additional context on the affected component architecture.

Workarounds

Restrict access to the GraphQL Reports API using network segmentation or firewall rules to limit exposure to trusted users only
Implement API gateway controls to validate and sanitize incoming GraphQL requests before they reach the application
Enable enhanced authentication requirements such as multi-factor authentication for GraphQL API access
Deploy a Web Application Firewall with SQL injection detection rules in front of the Anchore Enterprise application

bash

# Example: Restrict GraphQL API access using iptables (adjust network ranges as needed)
# Allow only trusted management network to access GraphQL API port
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 8228 -s 10.10.0.0/24 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 8228 -j DROP