CVE-2025-71431 in Frappe
Summary
by MITRE • 10/13/2026
Frappe before 14.99.2 and 15.x before 15.86.0 contains an LDAP injection vulnerability because certain endpoints do not sanitize user-supplied parameters before using them in LDAP queries. Attackers can supply crafted LDAP filter syntax through these parameters to alter the resulting directory queries.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/13/2026
The identified security flaw resides within versions of the Frappe framework prior to 14.99.2 and version 15.x prior to 15.86.0, specifically affecting components responsible for Lightweight Directory Access Protocol authentication and user management operations. This vulnerability is classified as an LDAP injection issue, which stems from a fundamental failure in input validation and sanitization processes within the application's backend logic. When users interact with specific endpoints designed for directory-based authentication or profile lookups, the system accepts raw user-supplied parameters without adequate filtering before incorporating them into dynamic LDAP query strings. This architectural oversight allows malicious actors to inject specially crafted LDAP filter syntax directly into these input fields, thereby manipulating the structure and intent of the queries executed against the underlying directory service such as Active Directory or OpenLDAP.
From a technical perspective, LDAP injection exploits the fact that user inputs are often concatenated directly into search filters without proper escaping of special characters like parentheses, asterisks, and ampersands. By injecting these metacharacters, an attacker can alter the logical structure of the LDAP filter. For instance, if a query is constructed to check for a specific username, an injection payload could close the existing condition and append new conditions that bypass authentication checks or retrieve sensitive information from other parts of the directory tree. This manipulation effectively allows the application to execute queries with unintended permissions or scope, potentially leading to unauthorized access to user accounts, enumeration of valid usernames, or extraction of confidential data stored within the LDAP database. The vulnerability aligns closely with CWE-90, which describes Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an LDAP Query, highlighting the critical need for strict input validation and parameterized query usage rather than string concatenation when interacting with directory services.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant, particularly for organizations relying on Frappe for enterprise resource planning or customer relationship management systems that integrate with corporate identity providers. Successful exploitation can lead to complete authentication bypass, allowing attackers to log in as arbitrary users without valid credentials. Beyond unauthorized access, the ability to manipulate directory queries enables information disclosure attacks where sensitive attributes such as email addresses, phone numbers, and group memberships of other employees can be extracted. In severe cases, if the application has elevated privileges for performing write operations on LDAP entries, an attacker might modify user profiles or reset passwords, leading to further compromise of the broader IT infrastructure. This aligns with several techniques in the MITRE ATT&CK framework, including T1078 Valid Accounts and T1213 Data from Information Repositories, illustrating how this single vulnerability can serve as a pivot point for deeper network infiltration and data exfiltration campaigns.
To mitigate this risk, organizations running affected versions of Frappe must immediately upgrade to version 14.99.2 or later, or version 15.86.0 and above, where the developers have implemented proper input sanitization mechanisms. These updates ensure that user-supplied data is correctly escaped or validated against a whitelist of allowed characters before being processed in LDAP queries. Additionally, security teams should enforce strict input validation policies across all application endpoints, utilizing parameterized queries wherever supported by the underlying libraries to prevent direct injection into query strings. Regular penetration testing and code reviews focusing on authentication flows are recommended to identify similar patterns of insecure data handling. Monitoring logs for unusual LDAP search patterns or failed authentication attempts with suspicious payloads can also aid in detecting potential exploitation attempts in real-time, providing an additional layer of defense while patching efforts are underway.