Overview
A significant vulnerability, identified as CVE-2025-9977, has been discovered in Times Software E-Payroll. This vulnerability allows an unauthenticated attacker to perform Denial-of-Service (DoS) attacks. Furthermore, it’s suspected that SQL injection and command injection attacks are also possible, although exploitation is hampered by potential backend filtering and other security mechanisms. The vulnerability stems from improper sanitization of POST parameters during the login process.
The vendor, Times Software, has not yet responded to inquiries from the CNA (Certifying Authority), and the patching status remains unknown.
Published: 2025-11-18T16:15:47.027
Technical Details
The core issue lies in the insufficient sanitization of data submitted through POST parameters during the login process of Times Software E-Payroll. An attacker can manipulate these parameters to trigger a DoS condition by overloading the system with malformed or excessively large inputs. The application’s failure to properly validate and sanitize these inputs leads to resource exhaustion and service disruption.
Attempts to exploit SQL injection vulnerabilities have been made, with indications suggesting that backend filtering mechanisms might be preventing successful exploitation. However, the presence of this vulnerability indicates a severe weakness in the application’s input validation. Furthermore, command injection attempts result in detailed error messages, potentially exposing internal infrastructure information to attackers.
CVSS Analysis
Currently, no CVSS score has been assigned to CVE-2025-9977 due to the vendor’s lack of response and incomplete vulnerability analysis. However, considering the potential for DoS attacks and the possibility of SQL and command injection, the severity is likely to be high. A successful DoS attack can severely disrupt business operations, while successful SQL or command injection could lead to data breaches, system compromise, and further malicious activities.
Possible Impact
- Denial of Service (DoS): Complete or partial disruption of E-Payroll services, preventing legitimate users from accessing the system.
- SQL Injection (Potential): Unauthorized access to sensitive payroll data, including employee information, salaries, and financial records.
- Command Injection (Potential): Remote code execution on the server, leading to complete system compromise and data exfiltration.
- Information Disclosure: Error messages revealing internal infrastructure details, aiding further attacks.
Mitigation or Patch Steps
Due to the vendor’s lack of response, a formal patch is not currently available. Until a patch is released, the following mitigation steps are recommended:
- Web Application Firewall (WAF): Implement a WAF with rules to filter out potentially malicious POST requests targeting the login functionality. Specifically, look for unusual characters, excessive length, or known SQL injection/command injection patterns.
- Rate Limiting: Implement rate limiting on the login endpoint to prevent attackers from overwhelming the server with numerous requests.
- Input Validation: If possible, implement client-side input validation to filter out suspicious characters and patterns before they are sent to the server. This is not a substitute for server-side validation but can provide an additional layer of defense.
- Monitor for Suspicious Activity: Closely monitor the E-Payroll server for unusual activity, such as a high volume of login attempts or unexpected error messages.
- Consider Alternative Solutions: If the risk is deemed too high, consider temporarily migrating to an alternative payroll solution until a patch is available.
Important: These are temporary workarounds. Apply the official patch as soon as it becomes available.
References
CERT.PL Advisory on CVE-2025-9977
Times Software E-Payroll Product Page
