CVE-2025-47785 is a high-severity SQL injection vulnerability affecting emlog, an open source website building system, in versions up to and including 2.5.9. The vulnerability arises due to improper neutralization of special elements in SQL commands (CWE-89). Specifically, the parameter $origContent in the admin/article_save.php script is not properly sanitized. This script is accessible to ordinary registered users, which means that any authenticated user on a site running a vulnerable version of emlog can exploit this flaw. By injecting malicious SQL code through the $origContent parameter, an attacker can manipulate the backend database queries. The consequence is severe: attackers can inject or modify the admin account credentials, effectively escalating their privileges to administrator level. This privilege escalation can then be leveraged to execute remote code on the backend server, leading to full system compromise. The vulnerability requires no user interaction beyond authentication, and the attack vector is network accessible (remote). The CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.3 reflects the high impact on confidentiality and integrity, with a low attack complexity and no user interaction required. As of the publication date, no official patch or fix has been released, increasing the urgency for mitigation. No known exploits have been reported in the wild yet, but the ease of exploitation and the critical impact make this a significant threat for any organization using vulnerable emlog versions.

For European organizations using emlog as their website building platform, this vulnerability poses a significant risk. Successful exploitation can lead to unauthorized administrative access, allowing attackers to alter website content, steal sensitive data, or implant malicious code such as web shells or malware. This can result in data breaches, defacement, loss of customer trust, and potential regulatory penalties under GDPR due to compromised personal data. The remote code execution capability further escalates the threat, potentially enabling attackers to pivot within the network, disrupt services, or exfiltrate confidential information. Organizations relying on emlog for public-facing websites or internal portals are particularly at risk, as attackers can exploit the vulnerability remotely with only registered user credentials, which may be easier to obtain or guess. The lack of a patch at the time of disclosure means organizations must rely on immediate mitigations to reduce exposure. The impact on availability is lower but still present due to potential backend compromise and service disruption.

Given the absence of an official patch, European organizations should implement the following specific mitigations: 1) Restrict access to admin/article_save.php to only highly trusted users and minimize the number of registered users with access to this functionality. 2) Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block SQL injection patterns targeting the $origContent parameter, including common SQL injection payloads and suspicious input characters. 3) Employ strict input validation and sanitization at the application or proxy level to filter out malicious SQL syntax before it reaches the backend. 4) Monitor logs for unusual database query patterns or repeated failed attempts to access admin functions. 5) Enforce strong authentication mechanisms and consider multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all registered users to reduce the risk of credential compromise. 6) Isolate the web server hosting emlog from critical internal networks to limit lateral movement in case of compromise. 7) Prepare incident response plans to quickly detect and respond to potential exploitation. 8) Regularly backup website data and configurations to enable recovery if an attack occurs. Organizations should also track vendor communications for any forthcoming patches and apply them promptly once available.