CVE-2025-25206
📋 TL;DR
This SQL injection vulnerability in eLabFTW allows authenticated users to read sensitive database information, potentially including login tokens. This could lead to privilege escalation and unauthorized access to sensitive research data. All eLabFTW instances prior to version 5.1.15 are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- eLabFTW
📦 What is this software?
Elabftw by Elabftw
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
An authenticated attacker could extract login tokens, escalate privileges to administrator, and access or modify all research data in the system.
Likely Case
Authenticated users could read sensitive database content, potentially accessing other users' information or system configuration data.
If Mitigated
With proper input validation and database access controls, the impact would be limited to the attacker's own data scope.
🎯 Exploit Status
Requires authenticated access and SQL injection knowledge; CWE-89 indicates classic SQL injection vulnerability.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 5.1.15
Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/elabftw/elabftw/security/advisories/GHSA-qffc-rfjh-77gg
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Backup your eLabFTW database and configuration. 2. Download version 5.1.15 from GitHub releases. 3. Replace existing installation files with new version. 4. Run database update scripts if required. 5. Verify functionality.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
No workarounds available
allThe vendor advisory states no known workarounds exist for this vulnerability.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Restrict database access permissions to minimum required for application functionality
- Implement web application firewall (WAF) with SQL injection protection rules
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check eLabFTW version in admin panel or by examining the installation directory for version files.Check Version:
Check the version in the eLabFTW admin interface or look for version.txt in installation directory.Verify Fix Applied:
Confirm version is 5.1.15 or later in admin panel and test database query functionality.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual database query patterns
- Multiple failed login attempts followed by successful authentication
- SQL error messages in application logs
Network Indicators:
- Unusual database connection patterns from application server
- SQL injection payloads in HTTP requests
SIEM Query:
source="elabftw_logs" AND (message="SQL error" OR message="database error")