# CVE-2025-62521: ChurchCRM has unauthenticated RCE in its Install Wizard

> Unauthenticated attackers can inject arbitrary PHP code during the initial installation process, leading to complete server compromise.

- **Severity:** Critical 10.0 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 17 Dec 2025
- **Updated:** 17 Dec 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-m8jq-j3p9-2xf3

## What is CVE-2025-62521?

CVE-2025-62521 is a critical code injection vulnerability in Churchcrm Churchcrm, published on 17 Dec 2025. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

ChurchCRM is an open-source church management system. Prior to version 5.21.0, a pre-authentication remote code execution vulnerability in ChurchCRM's setup wizard allows unauthenticated attackers to inject arbitrary PHP code during the initial installation process, leading to complete server compromise. The vulnerability exists in `setup/routes/setup.php` where user input from the setup form is directly concatenated into a PHP configuration template without any validation or sanitization. Any parameter in the setup form can be used to inject PHP code that gets written to `Include/Config.php`, which is then executed on every page load. This is more severe than typical authenticated RCE vulnerabilities because it requires no credentials and affects the installation process that administrators must complete. Version 5.21.0 patches the issue.

Weakness: CWE-94 (Improper Control of Generation of Code)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-62521?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Churchcrm Churchcrm.

## How do I fix CVE-2025-62521?

No fix has been published for CVE-2025-62521 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2025-62521 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2025-62521 exists.

Public exploit code:

- ChurchCRM Unauthenticated RCE via Setup Page (metasploit)

## Other vulnerabilities in Churchcrm Churchcrm

- [CVE-2026-39337](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-39337/): ChurchCRM Affected by Unauthenticated RCE in Install Wizard (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2025-68110](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-68110/): ChurchCRM discloses database information on error message (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2024-53438](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-53438/): SQL injection in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2024-25894](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-25894/): SQL injection in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2024-25897](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-25897/): SQL injection in n/a (critical 9.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-62521 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-62521 is a critical code injection vulnerability in Churchcrm Churchcrm, published on 17 Dec 2025. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2025-62521 exists.

Affected product: Churchcrm Churchcrm. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-62521/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-62521/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-62521
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-62521
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-62521

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-62521/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.