CVE-2025-66169 is a Cypher Injection vulnerability identified in the Apache Camel camel-neo4j component, which facilitates integration between Apache Camel and Neo4j graph databases. The vulnerability exists in Apache Camel versions 4.10.0 up to but not including 4.10.8, 4.14.0 up to but not including 4.14.3, and 4.15.0 up to but not including 4.17.0. Cypher Injection occurs when untrusted input is improperly sanitized before being incorporated into Cypher queries, Neo4j's query language. An attacker exploiting this flaw can craft malicious Cypher statements that execute arbitrary queries on the Neo4j database, potentially leading to unauthorized data retrieval, modification, or deletion. This can compromise the confidentiality and integrity of data stored in the graph database. The vulnerability is particularly critical in environments where Apache Camel routes accept external input that is passed to Neo4j without sufficient validation or sanitization. Although no public exploits have been reported, the nature of injection vulnerabilities makes them attractive targets for attackers once disclosed. The Apache Software Foundation has released patched versions 4.10.8, 4.14.3, and 4.17.0 to address this issue. Users are strongly recommended to upgrade to these versions to mitigate the risk. The absence of a CVSS score requires an assessment based on the vulnerability's characteristics: injection flaws typically have high impact on confidentiality and integrity, can be exploited without authentication if input is externally controllable, and affect a widely used integration component. Therefore, the severity is assessed as high. This vulnerability affects organizations using Apache Camel for integration workflows involving Neo4j databases, which are common in data analytics, recommendation engines, and complex relationship mapping applications.

For European organizations, the Cypher Injection vulnerability poses significant risks including unauthorized access to sensitive graph data, data corruption, and potential disruption of services relying on Neo4j databases. Organizations in sectors such as finance, telecommunications, healthcare, and government that utilize Apache Camel for data integration with Neo4j could face data breaches or operational impacts. The injection flaw could allow attackers to bypass access controls, extract confidential information, or alter critical data relationships, undermining trust and compliance with data protection regulations like GDPR. Additionally, exploitation could lead to reputational damage and financial losses due to remediation costs and potential regulatory penalties. The impact is heightened in environments where Apache Camel routes process external or user-supplied data without rigorous validation. Given the integration nature of Apache Camel, a successful attack could propagate through interconnected systems, amplifying the damage. Although no exploits are currently known in the wild, the vulnerability's disclosure increases the risk of future attacks, especially targeting European organizations with mature digital infrastructures and extensive use of graph databases.

1. Upgrade Apache Camel to the fixed versions: 4.10.8 for the 4.10.x LTS branch, 4.14.3 for the 4.14.x LTS branch, or 4.17.0 for the 4.15.x and later branches. 2. Review and sanitize all inputs passed to Neo4j via Apache Camel routes to ensure no untrusted data can be injected into Cypher queries. Implement strict input validation and use parameterized queries or prepared statements where possible. 3. Conduct a thorough code audit of integration workflows involving Neo4j to identify and remediate unsafe query constructions. 4. Employ runtime monitoring and anomaly detection on Neo4j query logs to detect suspicious or unexpected Cypher queries indicative of injection attempts. 5. Restrict Neo4j database permissions to the minimum necessary for Apache Camel operations to limit the impact of any successful injection. 6. Educate developers and DevOps teams about secure coding practices related to graph database queries and integration components. 7. Establish a patch management process to promptly apply security updates for Apache Camel and related components. 8. Consider network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure of Neo4j services to untrusted networks or users.