CVE-2025-3836 is a high-severity SQL injection vulnerability identified in Zoho Corporation's ManageEngine ADAudit Plus product, specifically affecting versions 8510 and prior. The vulnerability arises from improper neutralization of special elements used in SQL commands (CWE-89) within the logon events aggregate report feature. An authenticated attacker with at least low privileges (PR:L) can exploit this vulnerability remotely (AV:N) without requiring user interaction (UI:N). By injecting malicious SQL code, the attacker can compromise the confidentiality and integrity of the underlying database, potentially accessing sensitive audit logs, modifying records, or executing arbitrary SQL commands. The vulnerability has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.3, reflecting high impact on confidentiality and integrity, with a low impact on availability. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the ease of exploitation combined with the critical nature of audit data makes this a significant threat. The vulnerability affects a widely used IT auditing and compliance tool that organizations rely on for monitoring Active Directory and Windows environments, making it a valuable target for attackers seeking to evade detection or manipulate audit trails.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability can be substantial. ADAudit Plus is commonly deployed in enterprises and public sector organizations to monitor user activities, track changes, and ensure compliance with data protection regulations such as GDPR. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive audit logs, enabling attackers to cover their tracks or escalate privileges undetected. This undermines the integrity of security monitoring and incident response processes. Confidential information about user activities and system changes could be exposed, potentially leading to data breaches or regulatory non-compliance penalties. The ability to alter audit data also poses risks to forensic investigations and legal evidence preservation. Given the critical role of ADAudit Plus in security operations, exploitation could disrupt organizational security posture and trust in compliance reporting.

To mitigate this vulnerability, European organizations should prioritize upgrading ManageEngine ADAudit Plus to a patched version once available from Zoho Corporation. Until a patch is released, organizations should restrict access to the ADAudit Plus web interface to trusted administrators only, implementing network segmentation and firewall rules to limit exposure. Employ strong authentication mechanisms and monitor logs for unusual query patterns or access attempts indicative of SQL injection attempts. Conduct regular security assessments and code reviews of custom reports or integrations that interact with ADAudit Plus databases. Additionally, consider deploying Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) with SQL injection detection capabilities to provide an additional layer of defense. Organizations should also review and harden database permissions to minimize the impact of any successful injection. Finally, maintain up-to-date backups of audit data to enable recovery in case of data tampering.