CVE-2025-48867 in horilla
Summary
by MITRE • 09/24/2025
Horilla is a free and open source Human Resource Management System (HRMS). A stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Horilla HRM 1.3.0 allows authenticated admin or privileged users to inject malicious JavaScript payloads into multiple fields in the Project and Task modules. These payloads persist in the database and are executed when viewed by an admin or other privileged users through the web interface. Although the issue is not exploitable by unauthenticated users, it still poses a high risk of session hijacking and unauthorized action within high-privilege accounts. At time of publication there is no known patch.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/26/2025
The CVE-2025-48867 vulnerability represents a critical stored cross-site scripting flaw within the Horilla HRM 1.3.0 platform, a free and open source human resource management system. This vulnerability specifically targets the Project and Task modules where authenticated administrative or privileged users can inject malicious JavaScript code into various input fields. The flaw stems from inadequate input validation and output encoding mechanisms that fail to properly sanitize user-supplied data before storage in the database. When these malicious payloads are subsequently retrieved and displayed within the web interface, they execute in the context of other authenticated users' browsers, creating a persistent security risk that can affect any user with sufficient privileges to view the compromised data.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability follows a well-established XSS attack pattern where the malicious code is stored server-side rather than executed in a single request-response cycle. This stored nature makes the vulnerability particularly dangerous as the payload remains active until manually removed from the database, allowing attackers to maintain persistent access to compromised systems. The vulnerability specifically affects authenticated users with administrative privileges, meaning that an attacker who gains access to any privileged account could leverage this flaw to inject malicious scripts that would execute whenever other administrators or high-privilege users view the affected project or task data. The persistence of these payloads in the database creates a vector for session hijacking attacks, where attackers could potentially steal session cookies or other authentication tokens from the victim's browser, enabling them to impersonate legitimate users and perform unauthorized actions within the system.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as it creates a significant risk for privilege escalation and unauthorized system access. Attackers could craft malicious scripts that redirect victims to phishing sites, steal sensitive HR information including employee data, payroll details, and personal identifiers, or even execute commands on behalf of the compromised user. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that the vulnerability affects core administrative modules of the HRMS, which typically contain sensitive organizational data and system controls. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which defines cross-site scripting as a weakness where untrusted data is sent to a web browser without proper validation or encoding, and could be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1566.001 which covers spearphishing via email with malicious attachments or links, though in this case the attack vector involves legitimate administrative access being compromised rather than initial access through social engineering.
Organizations using Horilla HRM 1.3.0 should immediately implement compensating controls and mitigations while awaiting potential vendor patches or updates. The most effective immediate mitigation involves implementing strict input validation and output encoding mechanisms across all user-input fields within the Project and Task modules, ensuring that any potentially malicious code is properly escaped or removed before storage. Network monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual patterns of data access or modification within these modules, as well as to identify any attempts to access or modify project or task data that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, privileged users should be encouraged to use separate browser sessions for administrative tasks and implement multi-factor authentication where possible to add additional layers of security. Regular security audits should be conducted to verify that no malicious payloads have been successfully injected into the system, and that user access controls remain properly enforced. The lack of a known patch at time of publication necessitates these proactive defensive measures to protect against potential exploitation of this critical vulnerability.