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Arun KL
February 20, 2025
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How to Fix CVE-2025-1132: SQL Injection Vulnerability in ChurchCRM with Critical Security Patch?

Vulnerabilities

Guide on fixing CVE-2025-26465 security vulnerability.

A critical security flaw has been identified in ChurchCRM, a popular church management software. This vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2025-1132, is a time-based blind SQL Injection vulnerability that could allow attackers with administrator privileges to compromise the system. This article aims to provide security professionals with the information needed to understand, identify, and remediate this vulnerability effectively. Addressing this flaw is crucial for maintaining the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of sensitive data stored within ChurchCRM. This guide offers a comprehensive overview of the vulnerability, its potential impact, and detailed mitigation strategies. It is vital for DevSecOps, application security, product security, vulnerability management, and assessment teams, as well as penetration testers, red teams, and security operations engineers, to understand and implement these steps to safeguard their ChurchCRM deployments.

A Short Introduction to ChurchCRM

ChurchCRM is a web-based, open-source Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system specifically designed for churches and religious organizations. It helps manage member information, track attendance, donations, and communications, and organize events. Its features include member management, reporting, event scheduling, email communication, and financial tracking, making it a comprehensive tool for church administration. Due to the sensitive nature of the data it handles, such as personal contact details, donation records, and membership information, securing ChurchCRM installations is paramount.

Summary of CVE-2025-1132

  • CVE ID: CVE-2025-1132

  • Description: A time-based blind SQL Injection vulnerability exists in ChurchCRM version 5.13.0 and prior, specifically in the EditEventAttendees.php file.

  • CVSS Score: 9.3 (Critical)

  • CVSS Vector: CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:H/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:H/SI:L/SA:H/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:Y/R:U/V:C/RE:H/U:Red

The root cause of this vulnerability lies in the insufficient sanitization of the EN_tyid parameter within the EditEventAttendees.php file. This parameter is directly inserted into an SQL query without proper validation or escaping, allowing an attacker to inject malicious SQL code. Because the vulnerability is a time-based blind SQL injection, an attacker can't directly see the output of their injected SQL code. Instead, they rely on observing the time it takes for the database to respond to their crafted requests. By carefully constructing SQL queries that introduce artificial delays based on certain conditions, the attacker can infer information about the database structure and data. Although administrator privileges are required to exploit this flaw, the potential impact is severe, as it could lead to unauthorized data access, modification, or deletion.

Impact of CVE-2025-1132

The impact of CVE-2025-1132 on ChurchCRM installations can be significant. An attacker with administrator permissions who successfully exploits this SQL injection vulnerability can:

  • Delay Database Response Times: Injecting time-based SQL commands can cause the database to slow down significantly, impacting application performance for all users.

  • Gain Insights into the Underlying Database Structure: Through careful manipulation of SQL queries, an attacker can determine the structure and layout of the database, including table names, column names, and data types.

  • Potentially Retrieve Sensitive Data: Once the database structure is understood, the attacker can extract sensitive data, such as member names, contact information, donation records, and other confidential details.

  • Compromise Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability: Successful exploitation can lead to unauthorized data access, modification, or deletion, thereby compromising the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the system.

This vulnerability allows for malicious SQL command injection, which could lead to unauthorized data access or manipulation, and ultimately, a full compromise of the ChurchCRM instance.

Products Affected by CVE-2025-1132

The following versions of ChurchCRM are affected by the CVE-2025-1132 vulnerability:

Product
Version(s) Affected
ChurchCRM
5.13.0 and prior

Organizations using ChurchCRM versions after 5.13.0 are not affected by this vulnerability, as the necessary patch has been applied.

How to Check Your Product is Vulnerable?

Identifying whether your ChurchCRM installation is vulnerable to CVE-2025-1132 is crucial for assessing the risk and implementing appropriate remediation measures. Here are some ways to check if your product is vulnerable:

1. Version Check:

  • Log in to your ChurchCRM instance as an administrator.

  • Navigate to the "About" or "System Information" section. The location of this section may vary depending on your ChurchCRM installation.

  • Check the installed version number. If the version is 5.13.0 or earlier, your system is vulnerable.

2. Manual Detection (Advanced):

  • This method requires technical expertise and should be performed in a controlled environment.

  • Send a crafted HTTP POST request to the EditEventAttendees.php file with a malicious SQL payload in the EN_tyid parameter.

  • Analyze the response time. If the response time varies significantly based on the injected SQL code (e.g., using the SLEEP() function), it indicates a time-based blind SQL injection vulnerability.

  • Disclaimer: This method can be disruptive and may cause errors in your ChurchCRM instance. Use with caution.

It's essential to use a combination of these methods to accurately determine the vulnerability status of your ChurchCRM installation. If you are unsure about performing these checks, consider consulting with a security professional.

How to Fix the Vulnerabilities?

The primary remediation strategy for CVE-2025-1132 is to upgrade your ChurchCRM installation to the latest version. If upgrading is not immediately feasible, consider implementing the following workarounds and protective measures:

1. Upgrade ChurchCRM to the Latest Version:

  • Primary Remediation: Upgrade your ChurchCRM installation to the latest version, which includes the patch for CVE-2025-1132. The patch addresses the vulnerability by implementing proper input validation and sanitization for the EN_tyid parameter in the EditEventAttendees.php file.

  • How to Upgrade: Refer to the official ChurchCRM documentation for detailed instructions on upgrading your installation. Ensure you back up your database and application files before proceeding with the upgrade.

2. Implement Strict Input Validation:

  • Workaround: If upgrading is not immediately possible, implement strict input validation for all user-supplied parameters, especially the EN_tyid parameter in the EditEventAttendees.php file.

  • How to Implement: Use parameterized queries or prepared statements to prevent SQL injection. Ensure that all user inputs are properly escaped and sanitized before being used in SQL queries. You can also use a web application firewall (WAF) to filter out malicious SQL payloads.

3. Use Prepared Statements or Parameterized Queries:

  • Workaround: Rewrite the affected SQL queries to use prepared statements or parameterized queries. This prevents the database from interpreting user-supplied input as executable code.

  • How to Implement: Modify the EditEventAttendees.php file to use prepared statements or parameterized queries. Refer to your database documentation for specific instructions on how to implement these techniques.

4. Apply the Principle of Least Privilege:

  • Workaround: Restrict and monitor administrator access to the ChurchCRM system. Ensure that only authorized personnel have administrator privileges and that their activities are closely monitored.

  • How to Implement: Review the user roles and permissions in your ChurchCRM installation and ensure that they align with the principle of least privilege. Implement auditing and logging to track administrative actions.

5. Monitor and Log Administrative Actions:

  • Workaround: Implement robust monitoring and logging of all administrative actions in your ChurchCRM system. This will help you detect and respond to any suspicious activities.

  • How to Implement: Configure your ChurchCRM system to log all administrative actions, including user logins, permission changes, and data modifications. Review these logs regularly for any anomalies.

6. Consider Temporary Access Restrictions:

  • Workaround: If patching is not immediately feasible, consider temporarily restricting access to the EditEventAttendees.php file or the affected functionality until patching is complete.

  • How to Implement: Use access control lists (ACLs) or other security mechanisms to restrict access to the EditEventAttendees.php file. Alternatively, you can temporarily disable the affected functionality.

By implementing these fixes, mitigations, and best practices, you can significantly reduce the risk posed by CVE-2025-1132 and improve the overall security posture of your ChurchCRM deployment.

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Arun KL

Arun KL is a cybersecurity professional with 15+ years of experience in IT infrastructure, cloud security, vulnerability management, Penetration Testing, security operations, and incident response. He is adept at designing and implementing robust security solutions to safeguard systems and data. Arun holds multiple industry certifications including CCNA, CCNA Security, RHCE, CEH, and AWS Security.

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