CVE-2025-39471: SQL Injection Vulnerability in Pantherius Modal Survey

Overview

The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) system has recently identified a critical vulnerability, designated CVE-2025-39471, that affects the Pantherius Modal Survey software. This software, used widely for creating interactive surveys, has been found susceptible to a severe SQL Injection attack. Such vulnerability could potentially compromise the system or lead to significant data leakage. Given the severity of this issue, it is crucial to understand the nature of the vulnerability, its potential impact, and the necessary mitigation steps.

Vulnerability Summary

CVE ID: CVE-2025-39471
Severity: Critical (CVSS: 9.3)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: None
Impact: System compromise and data leakage

Affected Products

Product | Affected Versions

Pantherius Modal Survey | up to 2.0.2.0.1

How the Exploit Works

The vulnerability originates from the improper neutralization of special elements used in an SQL command in the Pantherius Modal Survey software. This improper neutralization, often referred to as ‘SQL Injection’, allows attackers to craft malicious SQL commands. These malicious commands can manipulate the software’s database, leading to unauthorized access to sensitive data, alteration, or even deletion of data.

Conceptual Example Code

Below is a conceptual example of how the vulnerability might be exploited. This is a sample HTTP request that injects an SQL command into a parameter that the vulnerable software does not properly sanitize:

POST /modalsurvey/submit HTTP/1.1
Host: target.example.com
Content-Type: application/json
{ "survey_id": "1; DROP TABLE users;" }

In this example, the `”survey_id”` parameter is injected with the SQL command `”1; DROP TABLE users;”`. This command aims to delete the ‘users’ table from the database, which would be executed if the software does not properly sanitize input.

Mitigation Guidance

The most effective mitigation strategy is to apply the vendor-supplied patch for this vulnerability. If the patch cannot be applied immediately, a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can be used as a temporary mitigation strategy. These tools can help detect and block SQL Injection attempts. However, they do not provide a complete solution. Therefore, it is crucial to apply the vendor patch as soon as possible.