Overview
The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures system has recently identified a significant security vulnerability, designated as CVE-2025-49404. This vulnerability pertains to the Listeo-Core product, developed by purethemes. The affected versions extend through to 1.9.32. This vulnerability is a classic example of an SQL Injection issue, one of the most dangerous and common web application vulnerabilities. It exposes the affected systems to potential compromise and can potentially lead to data leakage, impacting the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the system.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-49404
Severity: Critical (8.5 CVSS score)
Attack Vector: Network-based
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Impact: System compromise and data leakage
Affected Products
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Product | Affected Versions
purethemes Listeo-Core | Through 1.9.32
How the Exploit Works
SQL Injection vulnerabilities, such as CVE-2025-49404, occur when an application does not properly neutralize special elements used in an SQL command. An attacker can inject malicious SQL commands into user-input data. As the application processes this input, it inadvertently runs the harmful SQL commands. In the case of this particular vulnerability, an attacker could potentially gain unauthorized access to system data, modify or delete data, or even execute administrative operations on the database.
Conceptual Example Code
Here is a conceptual example of how this vulnerability might be exploited:
POST /listeo-core/vulnerable-endpoint HTTP/1.1
Host: target.example.com
Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded
username=admin&password=' OR '1'='1In this example, the attacker is attempting to log in using the username ‘admin’ and injecting a malicious payload into the password field. The payload `’ OR ‘1’=’1` manipulates the SQL logic so that the statement will always be true, potentially allowing an unauthorized user access to the system.
Mitigation
The best way to mitigate this vulnerability is to apply the vendor-supplied patch. If this is not immediately possible, implementing a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) could offer temporary relief from potential attacks. However, these methods should not replace the permanent fix of applying the patch. Additional best practices include avoiding the use of dynamic SQL, using parameterized queries or stored procedures, and regularly updating and patching systems.
