CVE-2025-27240 in Zabbix
Summary
by MITRE • 09/12/2025
A Zabbix adminitrator can inject arbitrary SQL during the autoremoval of hosts by inserting malicious SQL in the 'Visible name' field.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/08/2025
This vulnerability exists within the Zabbix monitoring platform where administrative users can perform unauthorized SQL injection attacks through the host autoremoval functionality. The flaw specifically occurs when an administrator processes host removal operations while a maliciously crafted value is present in the 'Visible name' field of a host configuration. This represents a classic sql injection vulnerability that allows attackers with administrative privileges to execute arbitrary database commands. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and improper parameterization of database queries within the autoremoval processing code path. When the system processes host removal requests, it directly incorporates user-supplied data from the visible name field into SQL statements without proper sanitization or escaping mechanisms. This creates an exploitable condition where an attacker can manipulate the database query structure to execute malicious commands, potentially gaining unauthorized access to sensitive data or system resources. The attack requires administrative access to the Zabbix system, making it a privilege escalation vulnerability that could allow attackers to escalate their privileges within the monitoring infrastructure.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-89 which specifically addresses SQL injection flaws where untrusted data is incorporated into SQL queries without proper validation or escaping. This weakness enables attackers to manipulate database operations through carefully crafted input that alters the intended query execution flow. The vulnerability operates within the Zabbix autoremoval feature which automatically removes hosts from monitoring when certain conditions are met, but the processing of these removal requests fails to properly sanitize user input. The system's failure to implement proper input validation creates a direct path for attackers to inject malicious SQL code that gets executed within the database context. This particular implementation demonstrates a lack of proper database abstraction layer usage and insufficient query parameterization practices that are fundamental to preventing sql injection attacks. The vulnerability affects the database integrity and confidentiality aspects of the zabbix system, potentially allowing attackers to extract sensitive information, modify database records, or even execute administrative commands on the underlying database server.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data compromise as it represents a critical security weakness within the monitoring infrastructure that could be exploited to gain deeper access to the entire system. An attacker with administrative privileges can leverage this vulnerability to bypass normal access controls and execute unauthorized database operations that could include data exfiltration, modification of monitoring configurations, or even database server command execution. The vulnerability's exploitation could lead to complete compromise of the zabbix monitoring environment, affecting all monitored systems and potentially providing attackers with a persistent backdoor within the network infrastructure. Organizations relying on zabbix for system monitoring and alerting could experience significant operational disruption if this vulnerability is exploited, as it could allow attackers to manipulate or disable monitoring capabilities while remaining undetected. The impact is particularly severe because zabbix systems often contain sensitive operational data including system credentials, network configurations, and monitoring schedules that could be valuable to adversaries seeking to maintain persistent access or conduct further attacks.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on implementing proper input validation and parameterized queries throughout the zabbix codebase, particularly within the autoremoval processing functionality. Organizations should immediately apply vendor-provided patches or updates that address this specific sql injection vulnerability and ensure that all administrative users follow principle of least privilege practices. The implementation of proper database abstraction layers and prepared statement usage should be enforced across all database interaction code paths to prevent similar vulnerabilities from occurring in the future. Additionally, organizations should implement comprehensive monitoring of administrative activities within zabbix systems to detect anomalous behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. Security hardening measures including regular code reviews, input sanitization, and database access controls should be implemented to reduce the attack surface. Network segmentation and monitoring of database connections can help detect unauthorized access attempts, while regular security assessments should be conducted to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities in other system components. The vulnerability highlights the importance of following secure coding practices and maintaining up-to-date security controls to protect critical infrastructure monitoring systems from targeted attacks.