CVE Alert: CVE-2025-25257 – Fortinet – FortiWeb

Risk verdict

Critical risk: exploitation is active per SSVC with an automatable PoC and no authentication required; a KEV listing exists—treat as priority 1.

Why this matters

Remote, unauthenticated SQL injection can exfiltrate or corrupt data and enable broader impact across connected apps. With automation possible, widespread exploitation could translate to rapid, large‑scale breaches against exposed deployments.

Most likely attack path

Remote attacker can exploit over HTTP(S) without user interaction or privileges. Crafty requests trigger SQL injection, giving the attacker high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact while the scope remains unchanged. The rapid, automated nature lowers the bar for mass scanning and exploitation.

Who is most exposed

Organizations hosting internet-facing gateway/WAF edge deployments, particularly in DMZs or public cloud, are most at risk—common in larger estates with slower patch cycles.

Detection ideas

• Inspect inbound HTTP requests for SQLi-like payloads in query strings or bodies.
• Correlate spikes of HTTP 500/DB‑related errors with external IP activity.
• Monitor for unusual database error messages or unusual query patterns in responses.
• Scan WAF logs for repeated injection attempts or anomalous payload structures.

Mitigation and prioritisation

• Patch to the latest supported versions (7.6.4+, 7.4.8+, 7.2.11+, 7.0.11+); treat as priority 1 due to KEV and active exploitation.
• If patching isn’t immediate: enable strict access controls, restrict management interfaces, deploy updated WAF rule sets to block SQLi patterns, and implement network segmentation.
• Schedule staged upgrade windows, test for regressions, and ramp monitoring post-deployment. Regularly verify compensating controls and repository of exploit attempts for visibility.