CVE-2025-6724 is a high-severity SQL Injection vulnerability (CWE-89) found in Progress Software's Chef Automate product, specifically affecting versions prior to 4.13.295 on Linux x86 platforms. Chef Automate is a widely used platform for continuous automation of infrastructure, compliance, and application deployment. The vulnerability arises from improper neutralization of special elements in SQL commands, allowing an authenticated attacker to manipulate SQL queries by injecting malicious input. This improper input sanitization enables the attacker to bypass intended access controls and gain unauthorized access to restricted functionalities across multiple services within Chef Automate. The vulnerability requires the attacker to have valid authentication credentials but does not require any user interaction beyond that. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 8.8, reflecting high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, with network attack vector, low attack complexity, and no user interaction needed. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized data access, modification, or deletion, potentially compromising the entire automation environment managed by Chef Automate. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the severity and ease of exploitation make this a critical issue to address promptly.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-6724 could be significant, especially for enterprises relying on Chef Automate for infrastructure and application lifecycle management. Successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive configuration data, credentials, and operational workflows, potentially disrupting automated deployment pipelines and compliance enforcement. This could result in data breaches, service outages, and loss of integrity in critical infrastructure automation processes. Given the interconnected nature of IT environments, such a compromise could cascade, affecting multiple systems and services. Organizations in sectors with stringent regulatory requirements (e.g., finance, healthcare, energy) may face compliance violations and reputational damage if this vulnerability is exploited. The fact that the vulnerability requires authentication limits exposure to internal or compromised users, but insider threats or credential theft scenarios remain a concern. The absence of known exploits in the wild provides a window for mitigation before active exploitation occurs.

To mitigate CVE-2025-6724, European organizations should immediately upgrade Chef Automate to version 4.13.295 or later, where the vulnerability is patched. In the absence of an available patch, organizations should implement strict access controls to limit authenticated user privileges to the minimum necessary, reducing the risk of exploitation. Conduct thorough audits of user accounts and credentials to detect and remove any unauthorized or stale accounts. Employ network segmentation to isolate Chef Automate servers from less trusted network zones. Enable detailed logging and monitoring of Chef Automate activities to detect anomalous behavior indicative of exploitation attempts. Additionally, implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block SQL injection patterns targeting Chef Automate interfaces. Regularly review and sanitize all inputs in custom integrations or scripts interfacing with Chef Automate to prevent injection vectors. Finally, conduct security awareness training focused on credential security to mitigate risks from compromised accounts.