CVE-2022-43671 is a critical SQL Injection vulnerability affecting multiple Zoho ManageEngine products, specifically Password Manager Pro versions before 12122, PAM360 versions before 5711, and Access Manager Plus versions before 4306. SQL Injection (CWE-89) vulnerabilities occur when untrusted input is improperly sanitized before being included in SQL queries, allowing an attacker to manipulate the backend database. This vulnerability enables remote attackers to execute arbitrary SQL commands without authentication or user interaction, as indicated by the CVSS vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N). Exploiting this flaw could lead to full compromise of the affected application’s database, resulting in unauthorized disclosure, modification, or deletion of sensitive data, and potentially full system compromise if the database is leveraged to escalate privileges or execute further attacks. The CVSS score of 9.8 (critical) reflects the high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, combined with ease of exploitation over the network without any privileges or user interaction. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the severity and nature of the vulnerability make it a prime target for attackers. The affected products are widely used enterprise privileged access management and password management solutions, which store highly sensitive credentials and access information, making this vulnerability particularly dangerous if exploited.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2022-43671 could be severe due to the critical nature of the affected ManageEngine products, which are commonly deployed in enterprise environments to manage privileged credentials and access controls. Successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive credentials, enabling attackers to move laterally within networks, escalate privileges, and compromise critical infrastructure or data. This could result in significant data breaches, operational disruption, regulatory non-compliance (e.g., GDPR violations), and reputational damage. Given the centralized role of these products in managing access, a compromise could undermine the security posture of entire organizations, affecting sectors such as finance, healthcare, government, and critical infrastructure across Europe. The lack of required authentication and user interaction for exploitation increases the risk of automated or widespread attacks, potentially impacting multiple organizations simultaneously.

European organizations using Zoho ManageEngine Password Manager Pro, PAM360, or Access Manager Plus should urgently verify their product versions and apply the latest security patches or updates provided by Zoho to remediate CVE-2022-43671. If immediate patching is not feasible, organizations should implement network-level protections such as restricting access to the management interfaces to trusted IP addresses or VPNs, deploying web application firewalls (WAFs) with SQL Injection detection and prevention rules tailored to these products, and monitoring logs for suspicious SQL query patterns or anomalous access attempts. Additionally, organizations should conduct thorough audits of privileged accounts and credentials managed by these tools to detect any unauthorized access or changes. Implementing strict network segmentation to isolate management servers and enforcing multi-factor authentication for administrative access can further reduce risk. Regular vulnerability scanning and penetration testing focused on these products should be integrated into security operations to detect any exploitation attempts promptly.