CVE-2025-50690 in SpatialReference
Summary
by MITRE • 08/13/2025
A Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability exists in SpatialReference.org (OSGeo/spatialreference.org) versions prior to 2025-05-17 (commit 2120adfa17ddd535bd0f539e6c4988fa3a2cb491). The vulnerability is caused by improper handling of user input in the search query parameter. An attacker can craft a specially formed URL with malicious JavaScript code, which is then reflected back and executed in the victim's browser. This flaw allows an attacker to execute arbitrary JavaScript in the context of the victim's session, potentially leading to session hijacking, phishing attacks, data theft, or redirection to malicious sites. The issue is exposed on publicly accessible pages, making it exploitable by an unauthenticated attacker.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/13/2025
The vulnerability CVE-2025-50690 represents a critical cross-site scripting flaw in the SpatialReference.org web application maintained by OSGeo. This platform serves as a comprehensive database for coordinate reference systems and spatial reference information, making it a valuable resource for geospatial professionals and developers worldwide. The vulnerability was present in versions prior to the specific commit 2120adfa17ddd535bd0f539e6c4988fa3a2cb491 released on May 17, 2025, indicating a relatively recent discovery and patching cycle that underscores the ongoing security challenges faced by open-source geospatial tools. The flaw manifests in the application's search functionality where user input is not properly sanitized or encoded before being reflected back to the browser, creating an ideal environment for malicious code injection.
The technical implementation of this XSS vulnerability occurs specifically within the search query parameter handling mechanism of the web application. When users submit search requests through the interface, the application processes the input without adequate validation or output encoding, allowing malicious payloads to be stored and subsequently executed in the context of other users' browsing sessions. The reflected nature of this vulnerability means that the malicious JavaScript code is immediately executed upon page load when the affected URL is accessed, without requiring any server-side storage or complex attack chains. This makes the exploit particularly dangerous as it can be delivered through simple URL manipulation and does not depend on user interaction beyond visiting the malicious page.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple code execution, creating significant risks for both individual users and the broader geospatial community that relies on SpatialReference.org for critical reference data. An attacker could leverage this flaw to hijack user sessions, potentially gaining access to sensitive geospatial data or performing unauthorized operations within the application's context. The vulnerability enables phishing attacks where users might be redirected to malicious sites disguised as legitimate geospatial resources, or could be used to steal session cookies and credentials. Additionally, the reflected nature of the attack means that even simple social engineering campaigns could be highly effective, as users might unknowingly visit compromised search results while performing legitimate research activities. The public accessibility of this vulnerability means that no authentication is required to exploit it, making it particularly concerning for a widely used reference platform.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2025-50690 should focus on implementing proper input validation and output encoding mechanisms throughout the application's search functionality. The most effective approach involves sanitizing all user-supplied input before processing and ensuring that any reflected content is properly encoded using appropriate context-specific encoding methods such as HTML entity encoding for web page contexts. Organizations using SpatialReference.org should immediately update to the patched version released on May 17, 2025, and implement comprehensive security testing including automated scanning and manual penetration testing to identify similar vulnerabilities in other web applications. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and represents a clear violation of the principle of least privilege and secure coding practices. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving web application exploitation and session management compromise, emphasizing the need for robust input validation and output encoding as core defensive measures against such attacks.