CVE-2025-27453 in MEAC300-FNADE4
Summary
by MITRE • 07/03/2025
The HttpOnly flag is set to false on the PHPSESSION cookie. Therefore, the cookie can be accessed by other sources such as JavaScript.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/29/2026
The vulnerability described in CVE-2025-27453 represents a critical security flaw in web application cookie management that directly impacts session security and user authentication integrity. This issue manifests when the HttpOnly flag is improperly configured on the PHPSESSION cookie, which is a fundamental security mechanism designed to prevent cross-site scripting attacks and unauthorized access to session tokens. The HttpOnly flag serves as a protective barrier that restricts client-side script access to cookies, ensuring that session identifiers cannot be harvested by malicious javascript code executing within the browser context. When this flag is set to false, it creates an exploitable condition where attackers can leverage javascript-based attacks such as cross-site scripting to extract sensitive session information from the browser's cookie storage.
The technical implications of this vulnerability extend beyond simple session hijacking, as it fundamentally undermines the security model that web applications rely upon for maintaining user authentication state. In a properly configured environment, the HttpOnly flag prevents javascript from accessing session cookies through document.cookie or similar apis, thereby protecting against theft of session identifiers that could be used to impersonate users. When this protection is disabled, attackers can execute javascript payloads that access the session cookie and exfiltrate it to external servers, effectively enabling session hijacking attacks without requiring additional exploitation vectors. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-1004 which specifically addresses the lack of proper HttpOnly flag implementation in cookie security configurations.
The operational impact of CVE-2025-27453 is significant and far-reaching across multiple attack vectors within the software development lifecycle. Attackers can leverage this weakness in conjunction with other techniques such as those catalogued in the ATT&CK framework under T1566 for initial access and T1548 for privilege escalation, potentially leading to complete account compromise and unauthorized access to protected resources. The vulnerability affects any web application that relies on PHP sessions for authentication management, creating a persistent security risk that remains active until properly patched. Organizations may experience unauthorized access to user accounts, data breaches, and potential compliance violations depending on the sensitivity of the applications affected. The exploitability of this vulnerability is relatively straightforward, requiring only basic knowledge of javascript and cookie manipulation techniques, making it particularly dangerous in environments where multiple applications may be running with similar configuration flaws.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2025-27453 must address both immediate remediation and long-term security posture improvements. The primary fix involves ensuring that all session cookies are configured with the HttpOnly flag set to true, which can be achieved through proper php.ini configuration or programmatic cookie setting functions that explicitly include this flag. Security teams should implement comprehensive cookie security policies that enforce the HttpOnly flag across all session management implementations and conduct regular security audits to verify proper configuration. Additional defensive measures include implementing Content Security Policy headers, using secure flag settings for cookies, and establishing proper input validation and output encoding to reduce overall attack surface. Organizations should also consider implementing monitoring solutions that can detect anomalous cookie access patterns or unauthorized session activity, as outlined in ATT&CK techniques for defense evasion and credential access. Regular security training for development teams on secure coding practices and cookie management is essential to prevent recurrence of this vulnerability type and maintain robust security controls throughout the application lifecycle.