Overview
The cybersecurity world is constantly evolving with new threats and vulnerabilities surfacing daily. One such vulnerability, designated as CVE-2025-3833, has been discovered in the widely used Zohocorp ManageEngine ADSelfService Plus software, a comprehensive self-service tool for Windows Active Directory users. This vulnerability is particularly worrisome as it opens up potential avenues for SQL injection attacks, which can lead to system compromise or data leakage.
Affected versions are 6513 and prior, making a significant portion of users potentially vulnerable. In light of this, it is imperative for organizations using this software to understand this vulnerability and the steps required to mitigate its potential impact.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-3833
Severity: High (8.1 CVSS Score)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: Required
Impact: System Compromise or Data Leakage
Affected Products
Escape the Surveillance Era
Most apps won’t tell you the truth.
They’re part of the problem.
Phone numbers. Emails. Profiles. Logs.
It’s all fuel for surveillance.
Ameeba Chat gives you a way out.
- • No phone number
- • No email
- • No personal info
- • Anonymous aliases
- • End-to-end encrypted
Chat without a trace.
Product | Affected Versions
Zohocorp ManageEngine ADSelfService Plus | Versions 6513 and prior
How the Exploit Works
This vulnerability stems from insufficient user input validation within the MFA reports feature of the Zohocorp ManageEngine ADSelfService Plus software. An attacker, with authenticated access, can manipulate SQL queries to the underlying database by injecting malicious SQL code. This SQL injection can lead to unauthorized viewing, modification, or deletion of data stored within the database. Additionally, it can potentially allow an attacker to execute arbitrary commands on the host system, leading to full system compromise.
Conceptual Example Code
Below is a conceptual pseudocode example of how this vulnerability might be exploited.
POST /MFAReport/endpoint HTTP/1.1
Host: target.example.com
Content-Type: application/json
Authentication: Bearer {legitimate token}
{
"report_parameters": "'; DROP TABLE users;--"
}In this example, the attacker sends a POST request to the MFA report endpoint. The report parameters field contains the SQL injection payload, which, if executed, will result in the dropping of the ‘users’ table from the database.
Please note that this is a simplified and conceptual example and real-world attacks might be more complex and tailored to the specific system architecture and database scheme.
Mitigation Guidance
Zohocorp has recognized this vulnerability and recommends applying the vendor patch to mitigate the risk. In the meantime, or if applying the patch is not immediately feasible, deploying a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can serve as a temporary mitigation measure. These systems can help detect and prevent SQL injection attacks, offering an extra layer of security to the vulnerable systems.