CVE-2025-0716 in AngularJS
Summary
by MITRE • 04/29/2025
Improper sanitization of the value of the 'href' and 'xlink:href' attributes in '' SVG elements in AngularJS allows attackers to bypass common image source restrictions. This can lead to a form of Content Spoofing https://owasp.org/www-community/attacks/Content_Spoofing and also negatively affect the application's performance and behavior by using too large or slow-to-load images.
This issue affects all versions of AngularJS.
Note: The AngularJS project is End-of-Life and will not receive any updates to address this issue. For more information see here https://docs.angularjs.org/misc/version-support-status .
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/20/2025
CVE-2025-0716 represents a critical security vulnerability within AngularJS that stems from inadequate sanitization of href attributes in SVG elements. This flaw exists specifically in the handling of 'href' and 'xlink:href' attribute values within SVG tags, creating a pathway for attackers to circumvent established image source restrictions that are typically enforced by web applications. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates at the core of how AngularJS processes and renders SVG content, allowing malicious actors to inject arbitrary URLs that can bypass security controls designed to prevent unauthorized content loading. The improper sanitization mechanism fails to properly validate or filter the attribute values, enabling attackers to specify external resources that would normally be restricted or blocked by security policies. This vulnerability falls under the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) and specifically relates to improper neutralization of special elements within attribute values, which aligns with the ATT&CK technique T1203 - Exploitation for Client Execution. The issue affects all versions of AngularJS, making it a widespread concern across legacy applications that have not been migrated to modern frameworks. The security implications extend beyond simple bypassing of restrictions, as the vulnerability can be leveraged for content spoofing attacks where attackers can display misleading or malicious content that appears to originate from trusted sources within the application's domain. This form of content spoofing can be particularly dangerous in applications that rely on visual trust indicators or display user-generated content, as it can deceive users into believing they are interacting with legitimate resources while actually being exposed to malicious content. The performance impact of this vulnerability is significant, as attackers can leverage it to load excessively large images or resources that are slow to download, leading to degraded application performance and potential denial of service conditions. This can result in increased server load, longer page load times, and degraded user experience across the entire application. The vulnerability's exploitation can also lead to unexpected behavior within the application, as the loaded resources may interfere with normal application flow or trigger unintended side effects. Organizations utilizing AngularJS applications are particularly vulnerable since the project has reached end-of-life status and will not receive any security updates or patches to address this issue. This creates a persistent risk for legacy systems that have not yet been migrated to modern frameworks, leaving them exposed to potential exploitation. The lack of official support means that organizations must rely on custom mitigations or immediate migration strategies to protect their applications. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and sanitization in web applications, particularly when dealing with dynamic content that can be influenced by user input. It highlights the dangers of relying on legacy frameworks that no longer receive security updates, creating a window of opportunity for attackers to exploit known vulnerabilities without fear of remediation. Security teams should prioritize identifying all applications utilizing AngularJS and implementing immediate mitigations or planning migration strategies to eliminate exposure to this and similar vulnerabilities. The issue serves as a stark reminder of the risks associated with maintaining outdated software components and the necessity of establishing robust software lifecycle management practices to prevent such vulnerabilities from persisting in production environments.