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On July 8, 2025, Fortinet disclosed active exploitation of CVE-2025-25257, a critical SQL injection vulnerability in FortiWeb. The flaw resides in the Fabric Connector module and allows unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary database commands through specially crafted HTTP or HTTPS requests. Exploited systems included FortiWeb instances directly exposed to the internet.
Date of Incident: July 8, 2025
Vulnerability ID: CVE-2025-25257
CVSS Score: 9.6 (Critical)
Explanation
CVE-2025-25257 is caused by improper neutralization of input in SQL statements (CWE-89). Attackers exploited this flaw by injecting SQL commands into requests targeting the Fabric Connector, a component used to integrate FortiWeb with other Fortinet products.
Successful exploitation did not require authentication and could lead to data manipulation, credential access, or full system compromise depending on database permissions. The vulnerability put all unpatched FortiWeb deployments at significant risk.
Impact
Application Compromise: Attackers could bypass WAF protection and steal data from back-end applications.
System Access: Execution of SQL commands led to potential elevation of privileges or service compromise.
Service Disruption: Malicious queries disrupted normal firewall operations and created downtime.
Reputation Risk: Organizations faced scrutiny for firewall failure and data exposure.
MITRE ATT&CK Mapping
Tactic: Initial Access (TA0001): T1190 – Exploit Public-Facing Application (via Fabric Connector interface)
Tactic: Execution (TA0002): T1565 – Data Manipulation (used SQL commands to modify or access protected data)
Tactic: Collection (TA0009): T1005 – Data from Local System (accessed sensitive records)
IOCs
Domains: None publicly disclosed
IP Addresses: 172.16.254.88 (example attacker IP)
File Hashes: None specific
Log Artifacts
Jul 08 2025 11:45:33 [FortiWeb] Suspicious SQL command from 172.16.254.88
Jul 08 2025 11:45:34 [FortiWeb] Database error: Unauthorized command executed
Remediation
Vendor Patch Guidance: Upgrade FortiWeb to version 7.6.4, 7.4.8, 7.2.11, or 7.0.11 as per Fortinet’s official advisory.
Temporary Mitigations: Disable the Fabric Connector module if unused. Restrict management interface access to trusted IPs.
Known Workarounds: Deploy updated WAF signatures to detect and block malicious SQL payloads.
Threat Hunting Recommendations
Log Correlation: Monitor WAF logs for abnormal SQL command patterns, especially those not matching application behavior.
Sigma Rule:
title: FortiWeb SQL Injection Exploit
id: c3d4e5f6-a7b8-9012-cdef-
status: experimental
description: Detects unauthorized database commands
logsource:
category: firewall
product: fortiweb
detection:
selection:
event_type: sql_command
status: unauthorized
condition: selection
level: critical
Anomalous Traffic: Watch for unexpected database access activity or repeated malformed SQL query attempts.
Takeaway for CISOs
Web application firewalls are often the first and last line of defense for critical business applications. Ensuring they are correctly configured, continuously updated, and routinely tested for exploitation paths is essential for application security hygiene.
How FireCompass Can Actively Test WAF Configurations
FireCompass CART emulates attacker behavior across your web infrastructure to detect vulnerabilities like CVE-2025-25257. It actively tests WAF configurations, identifies gaps in SQL injection protection, and provides actionable insights to strengthen firewall posture.
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