CVE-2025-36528 in ADAudit Plus
Summary
by MITRE • 06/09/2025
Zohocorp ManageEngine ADAudit Plus versions 8510 and prior are vulnerable to authenticated SQL injection in Service Account Auditing reports.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/16/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-36528 affects Zohocorp ManageEngine ADAudit Plus versions 8510 and earlier, presenting a critical authenticated SQL injection flaw within the Service Account Auditing reports functionality. This issue arises from insufficient input validation and improper sanitization of user-supplied data within the report generation module, specifically when processing parameters related to service account auditing. The vulnerability allows authenticated attackers with appropriate privileges to inject malicious SQL code into the application's query execution pipeline, potentially enabling unauthorized data access, modification, or deletion within the underlying database system.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the manipulation of input parameters used in the Service Account Auditing reports feature. When an authenticated user submits crafted input to the report generation interface, the application fails to properly sanitize or escape the input before incorporating it into SQL queries. This weakness falls under CWE-89 which specifically addresses SQL injection vulnerabilities where untrusted data is directly included in SQL command construction without adequate validation or escaping mechanisms. The attack vector requires authentication since the vulnerability exists within functionality that is only accessible to authorized users, but once exploited, could provide extensive database access capabilities.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data compromise, as it could enable attackers to escalate privileges within the audit system and potentially access sensitive service account credentials, audit logs, and other privileged information. The affected environment includes organizations relying on ManageEngine ADAudit Plus for Active Directory auditing, where service account monitoring is critical for security operations. Attackers could leverage this vulnerability to extract confidential information, modify audit records to cover malicious activities, or even establish persistent access through compromised service account credentials. The vulnerability particularly affects organizations with strict compliance requirements where audit integrity is paramount, as it could undermine the trustworthiness of audit data and potentially violate regulatory compliance frameworks such as SOX, HIPAA, or PCI DSS standards.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including upgrading to ManageEngine ADAudit Plus version 8511 or later, which contains patches addressing this SQL injection vulnerability. Network segmentation and access controls should be strengthened to limit exposure of the affected system, while monitoring should be enhanced to detect anomalous report generation activities. Additionally, implementing web application firewalls and input validation controls can provide additional defense-in-depth measures. Security teams should also conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments to identify any potential exploitation attempts and review audit logs for signs of unauthorized access. The remediation process should include thorough testing of the patched version to ensure no regression issues affect critical audit functionality, while maintaining proper backup procedures to enable quick recovery if issues arise during the upgrade process. This vulnerability demonstrates the importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and proper input validation in enterprise security applications, as highlighted by ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts and privilege escalation through compromised credentials.