How to Fix CVE-2025-27135: Critical SQL Injection Vulnerability in RAGFlow RAG Engine?

RAGFlow, an open-source Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) engine, has a critical vulnerability that could allow attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands. This SQL injection flaw, tracked as CVE-2025-27135, exists in the ExeSQL component due to improper sanitization of user-supplied input. With a high CVSS score, organizations using RAGFlow need to understand the vulnerability, its potential impact, and take immediate action to protect their systems. This article provides a comprehensive guide for security professionals on how to mitigate this risk.

A Short Introduction to RAGFlow

RAGFlow is an open-source RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) engine designed to enhance the performance of language models by grounding them in external knowledge sources. RAG systems retrieve relevant information from a knowledge base and combine it with the input prompt before feeding it to the language model. RAGFlow aims to simplify the development and deployment of RAG-based applications, providing developers with a flexible and efficient framework. It is used in a variety of applications, including chatbots, question answering systems, and content generation tools.

Summary of CVE-2025-27135

CVE-2025-27135 is a critical SQL injection vulnerability that resides within the ExeSQL component of RAGFlow. The flaw arises from the component's practice of directly extracting and executing SQL statements based on user-provided input without implementing proper sanitization measures. Consequently, an attacker can inject malicious SQL code into the input, leading to unintended execution of arbitrary SQL commands on the underlying database. This could lead to unauthorized data access, modification, or even complete database compromise.

Impact of CVE-2025-27135

The impact of CVE-2025-27135 can be severe. Successful exploitation allows an attacker to:

The vulnerability's exploitability is heightened by the fact that it can be exploited remotely over the network without any authentication

requirements. This makes it especially critical, as attackers can easily target vulnerable RAGFlow instances exposed to the internet. The lack of authentication needed to trigger the vulnerability widens the attack surface, making it simpler for malicious actors to exploit the flaw and cause significant damage. Therefore, immediate and decisive action is necessary to mitigate the risks posed by CVE-2025-27135.

Products Affected by CVE-2025-27135

The following versions of RAGFlow are affected by CVE-2025-27135:

Currently, there is no information available regarding specific versions that are not affected. Users are advised to treat all versions up to and including 0.15.1 as vulnerable until an official patched version is released. It is crucial to remain vigilant and monitor official RAGFlow channels for updates regarding non-affected versions or specific exemptions as this information becomes available.

How to Check Your Product is Vulnerable?

Identifying if your RAGFlow instance is vulnerable to CVE-2025-27135 is crucial for effective mitigation. Here's how you can check:

1. Version Check: The most straightforward method is to check the RAGFlow version. Access the RAGFlow instance's administration interface, configuration file, or use a command-line interface (if available) to determine the installed version. If the version is 0.15.1 or earlier, it is vulnerable.

2. Code Review (if applicable): If you have access to the RAGFlow source code, specifically examine the ExeSQL component. Look for instances where SQL statements are constructed using user-provided input without proper sanitization or parameterization. Specifically, check if the code directly concatenates user inputs into SQL queries.

3. Traffic Monitoring: Analyze network traffic to and from the RAGFlow instance, looking for suspicious SQL syntax within HTTP requests, especially those targeting the component utilizing ExeSQL. Monitor for SQL keywords like UNION, SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, and DROP in the request parameters. Note that this method requires expertise in recognizing potential SQL injection attempts within encoded or obfuscated traffic.

4. Database Logs Analysis: Enable and scrutinize database logs associated with the RAGFlow instance. Check for anomalies like unexpected SQL queries, errors related to invalid syntax (indicating potential injection attempts), or unauthorized data access.

5. Vulnerability Scanning: Employ vulnerability scanning

tools that are capable of detecting SQL injection vulnerabilities. Configure the scanner to assess the RAGFlow instance, focusing on input fields and parameters that interact with the database. You can follow these key strategies to identify vulnerabilities in your system.

How to Fix CVE-2025-27135?

Currently, there is no patched version available for RAGFlow to address CVE-2025-27135. Organizations using RAGFlow versions 0.15.1 and earlier are strongly advised to take immediate mitigation steps to minimize the risk. Here are several measures you can take:

Organizations should prioritize these mitigation steps to reduce the risk of exploitation until a patched version of RAGFlow becomes available. It's essential to implement a combination of these measures to create a layered defense approach. When handling user inputs, remember the significance of Software and data integrity failures, which is a critical aspect of web application security.

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