CVE-2026-69136 in SuiteCRM
Summary
by MITRE • 11/05/2026
SuiteCRM is an open-source, enterprise-ready Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software application. Prior to 7.15.2 and 8.10.2, email template attachment handling passes the remove_attachment POST parameter array through HTML-oriented securexss() processing and directly interpolates its elements into an SQL UPDATE statement. An authenticated attacker can inject SQL to disclose database information or abuse the UPDATE context to soft-delete all records in the notes table in one request. This issue is fixed in versions 7.15.2 and 8.10.2.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/05/2026
SuiteCRM, a widely deployed open-source Customer Relationship Management platform, contains a critical SQL injection vulnerability affecting email template attachment handling prior to version 7.15.2 for the legacy branch and version 8.10.2 for the modern branch. The root cause of this flaw lies in the improper validation and sanitization of input data within the application's backend logic. Specifically, when processing requests to remove attachments from email templates, the software accepts a POST parameter named remove_attachment which is expected to be an array of identifiers. Instead of applying strict type checking or using prepared statements with bound parameters, the system passes this raw array through an HTML-oriented cross-site scripting prevention function known as securexss(). This function is designed primarily for escaping special characters in HTML contexts and does not provide adequate protection against SQL injection attacks because it fails to properly escape single quotes or other SQL metacharacters that are critical when data is interpolated directly into a database query.
The technical severity of this vulnerability stems from the direct interpolation of these unsanitized array elements into an SQL UPDATE statement executed by the application's database layer. Because the input validation relies on a filter intended for web output rather than database input, an attacker who has valid authentication credentials can craft a malicious request containing specially crafted values within the remove_attachment parameter. By injecting SQL syntax such as UNION SELECT statements or boolean-based logic into these parameters, the attacker forces the database to execute commands beyond the intended scope of removing attachments. This architectural flaw allows for unauthorized data manipulation and exfiltration, bypassing standard application-level security controls that assume input sanitization is sufficient when proper query parameterization is not employed.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant due to its potential for both information disclosure and destructive actions against the CRM database infrastructure. An authenticated attacker can leverage this SQL injection vector to disclose sensitive data stored within the SuiteCRM database, including customer records, communication logs, and potentially other enterprise-sensitive information depending on the schema design. Furthermore, by abusing the UPDATE context of the vulnerable query, an attacker can manipulate the state of database records beyond their intended purpose. In a particularly severe scenario described in security advisories, this flaw enables the soft-deletion of all records within the notes table with a single request. This capability effectively results in data loss and operational disruption, as it removes historical communication logs and customer interactions without triggering standard audit trails or requiring multiple individual deletion actions, thereby complicating forensic analysis and recovery efforts.
To mitigate this vulnerability, organizations running SuiteCRM must immediately upgrade to version 7.15.2 for the legacy branch or version 8.10.2 for the modern branch, where these input validation mechanisms have been corrected. The fix involves implementing proper parameterized queries that separate SQL logic from data inputs, ensuring that user-supplied values are treated strictly as data rather than executable code. Additionally, security teams should enforce strict role-based access control to limit who can interact with email template management features and monitor database logs for anomalous UPDATE operations targeting the notes table or other critical entities. This issue is categorized under CWE-89 Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command within common vulnerability enumeration standards and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1059 Command and Scripting Interpreter if leveraged to execute further system commands, highlighting the importance of rigorous input validation across all application entry points.