CVE-2025-54119: The ADOdb sqlite3 driver allows SQL injection

Should you act?

Critical and remotely reachable

No known exploitation yet, but it is network-reachable without credentials. This signal is computed from CISA KEV, EPSS and CVSS data; it is not an editorial verdict.

• No confirmed exploitation. It is not in CISA’s KEV catalog and CISA’s SSVC assessment records no known exploitation. That can change quickly after a public write-up; re-check if you are affected.
• EPSS 0.5%, percentile 42: FIRST’s model estimates a 0.5% chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 42% of all scored CVEs (low). EPSS is a probability, not a verdict.
• Remotely reachable with no login and no user interaction. If the vulnerable service is exposed to the internet, prioritize it.
• Only applies if your dependency tree includes adodb/adodb-php (Composer (PHP)) <= 5.22.9, fixed in 5.22.10. Check your lockfile, including transitive dependencies.

What it is

ADOdb is a PHP database class library that provides abstractions for performing queries and managing databases. In versions 5.22.9 and below, improper escaping of a query parameter may allow an attacker to execute arbitrary SQL statements when the code using ADOdb connects to a sqlite3 database and calls the metaColumns(), metaForeignKeys() or metaIndexes() methods with a crafted table name. This is fixed in version 5.22.10. To workaround this issue, only pass controlled data to metaColumns(), metaForeignKeys() and metaIndexes() method's $table parameter.

From the GitHub advisory

Improper escaping of a query parameter may allow an attacker to execute arbitrary SQL statements when the code using ADOdb connects to a sqlite3 database and calls the metaColumns(), metaForeignKeys() or metaIndexes() methods with a crafted table name.

Note that the indicated Severity corresponds to a worst-case usage scenario, e.g. allowing user-supplied data to be sent as-is to the above-mentioned methods.

Impact SQLite3 driver.

Patches Vulnerability is fixed in ADOdb 5.22.10 (https://github.com/ADOdb/ADOdb/commit/5b8bd52cdcffefb4ecded1b399c98cfa516afe03).

Workarounds Only pass controlled data to metaColumns(), metaForeignKeys() and metaIndexes() method's $table parameter.

Weakness type: CWE-89.

Product: adodb/adodb-php (Composer (PHP)) · Assigned by: GitHub_M · Published: 2025-08-05

Affected and fixed versions

Severity scores

• Attack vector: network (remotely reachable)
• Attack complexity: low
• Privileges required: none (no login)
• User interaction: none
• Scope: changed (can affect other components)

CVSS measures how bad a flaw is if exploited, not how likely exploitation is. Read it next to the exploitation data below.

Exploitation and urgency

• CISA KEV: not listed (no confirmed in-the-wild exploitation known to CISA).
• CISA SSVC assessment: exploitation none, automatable yes, technical impact total.
• FIRST EPSS (model of 2026-10-21): 0.50% probability of exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 42.

Timeline

• 2025-08-04 — GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-vf2r-cxg9-p7rf published (critical)
• 2025-08-05 — CVE record published by GitHub_M
• 2025-11-03 — CVE record last updated

Sources and references

Original sources first. Version and fix details should always be confirmed against the vendor or project advisory.

Vulnerability records

1. GitHub Advisory GHSA-vf2r-cxg9-p7rf github.com
2. CVE.org record CVE-2025-54119 cve.org
3. NVD entry CVE-2025-54119 nvd.nist.gov

Other references from the CVE record and advisory

1. github.com github.com
2. github.com github.com
3. github.com github.com
4. lists.debian.org lists.debian.org

Critical Composer (PHP) advisories · Today’s Security Digest