Chef Automate - SQLi (CVE-2025-8868)
Description
In Progress Chef Automate, versions earlier than 4.13.295, on Linux x86 platform, an authenticated attacker can gain access to Chef Automate restricted functionality in the compliance service via
improperly neutralized inputs used in an SQL command using a well-known token.
psychologyCrowdSec Analysis
CVE-2025-8868 is a critical vulnerability in Progress Chef Automate versions prior to 4.13.295 on Linux x86, where an authenticated attacker can exploit improperly neutralized SQL inputs to access restricted compliance service functionality. This flaw could be leveraged to perform privilege escalation or unauthorized actions within the application, posing a significant risk to data integrity and system security.
CrowdSec has been tracking this vulnerability and its exploits since 15th of October 2025.
CrowdSec network observations suggest that most exploitation of CVE-2025-8868 involves focused reconnaissance to identify viable targets. Attackers typically tailor their campaigns based on system exposure and configuration. It is unlikely that a given attack is accidental. CrowdSec network telemetry also shows that exploitation of CVE-2025-8868 has significantly declined over the past week. Attack volumes are well below the long-term average, suggesting attackers are rapidly losing interest. The vulnerability appears to be falling out of active use across most threat landscapes.
Attackers exploit the /api/v0/compliance/profiles/search endpoint by injecting malicious SQL payloads into the filters field of POST requests, often using a well-known token in the x-data-collector-token header to bypass authentication.
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| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| CVE Published | 2025-09-29 |
| Rule Released | 2025-10-15 |
| CrowdSec First Seen | 2025-10-16 |
Related Weaknesses
The product exposes sensitive information to an actor that is not explicitly authorized to have access to that information.
The product constructs all or part of an SQL command using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the intended SQL command when it is sent to a downstream component. Without sufficient removal or quoting of SQL syntax in user-controllable inputs, the generated SQL query can cause those inputs to be interpreted as SQL instead of ordinary user data.