CVE-2025-8311 is a medium-severity SQL Injection vulnerability (CWE-89) affecting dotCMS Cloud Services (dCS) versions 24.03.22 and later. The flaw exists in the /api/v1/contenttype endpoint, specifically in the handling of the 'sites' query parameter, which accepts a comma-separated list of site identifiers or keys. This parameter is directly concatenated into a SQL query without proper sanitization or parameterization, enabling a Boolean-based blind SQL injection attack vector. An authenticated attacker with low privileges can exploit this vulnerability by crafting malicious input in the 'sites' parameter to manipulate the underlying SQL query. Exploitation can lead to unauthorized extraction of sensitive data from the database, privilege escalation within the application, or denial-of-service conditions by triggering resource-intensive queries or database errors. The vulnerability was confirmed using automated tools like SQLMap, demonstrating the ability to exfiltrate the full database and cause service disruption. The vulnerability requires authentication and some user interaction, and the attack complexity is high due to the need for crafted payloads and specific conditions. The vulnerability is fixed in dotCMS versions 25.08.14, 25.07.10-1v2 LTS, 24.12.27v10 LTS, and 24.04.24v21 LTS, and users are strongly advised to upgrade to these versions to mitigate the risk.

For European organizations using dotCMS Cloud Services, this vulnerability poses significant risks to data confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized disclosure of sensitive content or user data stored in the CMS database, potentially violating GDPR and other data protection regulations. Privilege escalation could allow attackers to gain administrative control over the CMS, enabling further malicious activities such as content tampering, defacement, or deployment of malware. Denial-of-service conditions could disrupt business operations, impacting websites and digital services reliant on dotCMS. Given dotCMS's use in various sectors including media, government, and enterprise content management across Europe, the impact could be widespread, affecting public-facing websites and internal portals. The requirement for authentication and the complexity of exploitation somewhat limit the attack surface, but insider threats or compromised low-privilege accounts could still leverage this vulnerability effectively.

Beyond upgrading to the fixed versions of dotCMS as the primary mitigation, European organizations should implement the following specific measures: 1) Conduct a thorough audit of user accounts and permissions to ensure that low-privilege accounts are limited and monitored, reducing the risk of exploitation by authenticated attackers. 2) Employ Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to detect and block suspicious SQL injection patterns targeting the /api/v1/contenttype endpoint, especially focusing on the 'sites' parameter. 3) Implement strict input validation and sanitization at the application layer for all user-supplied parameters, even if patches are applied, as a defense-in-depth strategy. 4) Monitor database query logs and application logs for unusual query patterns or error rates that may indicate attempted exploitation. 5) Regularly review and update incident response plans to include scenarios involving SQL injection attacks on CMS platforms. 6) Educate developers and administrators on secure coding practices and the importance of parameterized queries to prevent similar vulnerabilities in custom extensions or integrations.