CVE-2025-41403 is a high-severity SQL injection vulnerability identified in ManageEngine ADAudit Plus, a product by Zoho Corporation used for auditing Active Directory environments. The vulnerability affects versions 8510 and prior. It arises due to improper neutralization of special elements in SQL commands (CWE-89) during the process of fetching service account audit data. Specifically, authenticated users with privileges to access this functionality can inject malicious SQL code, potentially allowing them to manipulate database queries. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 8.3, reflecting a high impact with network attack vector, low attack complexity, requiring privileges but no user interaction, and resulting in high confidentiality and integrity impact with low availability impact. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized data disclosure, modification of audit records, or partial disruption of service. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the vulnerability poses a significant risk given the sensitive nature of audit data and the critical role ADAudit Plus plays in security monitoring and compliance. The lack of an official patch link suggests that remediation may require vendor updates or configuration changes once available.

For European organizations, this vulnerability could have serious consequences. ADAudit Plus is widely used in enterprise environments to monitor Active Directory changes, user activities, and compliance-related events. Exploitation could allow an attacker with legitimate access to escalate privileges by tampering with audit data, hiding malicious activities, or extracting sensitive information about service accounts and directory configurations. This undermines the integrity and trustworthiness of security monitoring, potentially delaying detection of insider threats or external breaches. Given the strict data protection regulations in Europe, such as GDPR, unauthorized disclosure or alteration of audit logs could lead to regulatory penalties and reputational damage. Additionally, the partial availability impact could disrupt auditing processes, affecting operational continuity and incident response capabilities.

Organizations should immediately review and restrict access to ADAudit Plus features related to service account audit data, ensuring only trusted administrators have the necessary privileges. Implement strict role-based access controls and monitor for unusual query patterns or database errors that might indicate attempted exploitation. Until an official patch is released, consider isolating the ADAudit Plus server within a secure network segment and employing web application firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to detect and block SQL injection attempts targeting the vulnerable endpoints. Regularly audit and validate the integrity of audit logs to detect tampering. Engage with Zoho support for updates on patches or workarounds. Additionally, conduct internal penetration testing focusing on ADAudit Plus to identify any exploitation attempts and verify the effectiveness of implemented mitigations.