CVE-2025-23641 in Powies pLinks PagePeeker Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 01/16/2025
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability in Thomas Ehrhardt Powie's pLinks PagePeeker allows DOM-Based XSS.This issue affects Powie's pLinks PagePeeker: from n/a through 1.0.2.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/10/2025
The vulnerability CVE-2025-23641 represents a critical cross-site scripting weakness in Thomas Ehrhardt Powie's pLinks PagePeeker web application, specifically manifesting as a DOM-based XSS flaw that undermines the security of web page generation processes. This vulnerability stems from inadequate input sanitization during the dynamic creation of web content, where user-supplied data is improperly handled and directly embedded into the Document Object Model without proper neutralization measures. The flaw exists within the application's page generation logic, allowing malicious actors to inject malicious scripts that execute in the context of other users' browsers when they view affected pages.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs during the web page generation phase where the application fails to properly escape or validate input parameters that are subsequently used to construct DOM elements. This allows attackers to manipulate the application's behavior by injecting malicious JavaScript code through input fields or URL parameters that are then processed and rendered without adequate security controls. The DOM-based nature of this vulnerability means that the malicious script is executed within the victim's browser context rather than being sent to the server, making it particularly challenging to detect and mitigate through traditional server-side security measures. The affected version range spans from the initial release through version 1.0.2, indicating this flaw has persisted across multiple iterations of the application.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it enables attackers to execute arbitrary code within users' browsers, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, data exfiltration, and other malicious activities. An attacker could craft malicious URLs that, when visited by unsuspecting users, would execute scripts designed to steal cookies, redirect users to phishing sites, or perform actions on behalf of authenticated users. The vulnerability particularly affects users who interact with the pLinks PagePeeker functionality, as any user input processed by the application's DOM generation system could serve as an attack vector. This creates a persistent threat that can compromise user sessions and potentially escalate to more severe security incidents involving sensitive data access or system compromise.
Organizations and users should implement immediate mitigations including input validation and sanitization of all user-supplied data before it is processed by the application's DOM generation system. The application should employ proper output encoding techniques to prevent script execution in browser contexts, particularly when handling URL parameters or user-provided content. Security measures should include implementing Content Security Policy headers to restrict script execution and using proper DOM manipulation techniques that prevent direct injection of user data into executable contexts. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and follows ATT&CK technique T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter usage. The remediation efforts should focus on comprehensive input validation, proper output encoding, and implementing security headers to protect against DOM-based XSS attacks. Additionally, regular security assessments and code reviews should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities in the application's input handling mechanisms and prevent future occurrences of this class of security flaw.