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OrangehrmApplication

CVE-2025-66224

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-11-29
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 5.8 or later.
See remediation →
94/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
OrangeHRM is a comprehensive human resource management (HRM) system. From version 5.0 to 5.7, the application contains an input-neutralization flaw in its mail configuration and delivery workflow that allows user-controlled values to flow directly into the system’s sendmail command. Because these values are not sanitized or constrained before being incorporated into the command execution path, certain sendmail behaviors can be unintentionally invoked during email processing. This makes it possible for the application to write files on the server as part of the mail-handling routine, and in deployments where those files end up in web-accessible locations, the behavior can be leveraged to achieve execution of attacker-controlled content. The issue stems entirely from constructing OS-level command strings using unsanitized input within the mail-sending logic. This issue has been patched in version 5.8.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

OrangeHRM versions 5.0-5.7 contain a command injection vulnerability in the mail configuration workflow where unsanitized user input is passed directly to sendmail commands. This allows attackers to write arbitrary files to web-accessible locations, potentially achieving remote code execution.

MitigationUpgrade to OrangeHRM version 5.8 or later which contains the patched mail handling logic.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
OrangehrmApplication
Affected:>= 5.0, < 5.8

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Determine installed OrangeHRM version
    Locate the version file or admin panel version information in your OrangeHRM installation. Common locations include a version.php file, admin dashboard 'About' section, or system info page.
    Affected if The installed version is 5.0, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5, 5.6, or 5.7 (any version >=5.0 but <5.8)
  2. Verify mail configuration module is accessible
    Navigate to the mail configuration section in the OrangeHRM admin panel, typically under Admin > Configuration > Mail Configuration. Check if this module is enabled and accessible to administrative users.
    Affected if The mail configuration feature is enabled and accessible in your installation
  3. Identify mail transport configuration
    Examine the mail configuration settings to determine if sendmail or a system mail transfer agent is configured. Look for sendmail path, mail server type, or SMTP settings in the mail configuration files or database.
    Affected if Sendmail or local mail transfer agent is configured rather than external SMTP only
  4. Review web-accessible directories for unexpected files
    Scan web-accessible directories (such as /web, /public_html, or the web root) for newly created or unexpected PHP files, shell scripts, or other executable files that were not deployed by administrators.
    Affected if Unexpected files appear in web-accessible locations, indicating possible exploitation
  5. Check application logs for mail-related anomalies
    Review OrangeHRM application logs and web server access/error logs for suspicious patterns in mail configuration requests, such as unusual characters, pipe symbols, or command sequences in parameters.
    Affected if Logs show malformed or suspicious input in mail configuration parameters

You are affected if your OrangeHRM version is 5.0 through 5.7 and the mail configuration module with sendmail support is accessible and enabled.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 5.8 or later
Fixed in 5.8
Interim mitigation

Upgrade to OrangeHRM version 5.8 or later which contains the patched mail handling logic.

Recommended fix High confidence

OrangeHRM 5.8

  1. 1. Back up the existing OrangeHRM database and installation directory before proceeding
  2. 2. Download OrangeHRM version 5.8 from the official OrangeHRM repository or website
  3. 3. Ensure the system meets the prerequisites for version 5.8 (PHP version, database requirements, etc.)
  4. 4. Place the application in maintenance mode or disable user access during the upgrade
  5. 5. Extract the version 5.8 package to the web server document root
  6. 6. Copy the configuration files from the existing installation to the new version
  7. 7. Run the upgrade script or navigate to the setup wizard to migrate the database
  8. 8. Verify that the mail configuration functionality works correctly after upgrade
Caveat Review the OrangeHRM 5.8 release notes for any breaking changes between your current version and 5.8, particularly regarding mail configuration settings and PHP version requirements

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Orangehrm Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
7.0 hours of engineering $1,240
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2025-66224 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data