CVE-2025-60249 in vulnerability-lookup
Summary
by MITRE • 09/25/2025
vulnerability-lookup 2.16.0 allows XSS in bundle.py, comment.py, and user.py, by a user on a vulnerability-lookup instance who can add bundles, comments, or sightings. A cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability was discovered in the handling of user-supplied input in the Bundles, Comments, and Sightings components. Untrusted data was not properly sanitized before being rendered in templates and tables, which could allow attackers to inject arbitrary JavaScript into the application. The issue was due to unsafe use of innerHTML and insufficient validation of dynamic URLs and model fields. This vulnerability has been fixed by escaping untrusted data, replacing innerHTML assignments with safer DOM methods, encoding URLs with encodeURIComponent, and improving input validation in the affected models.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/25/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-60249 affects the vulnerability-lookup 2.16.0 application and represents a critical cross-site scripting weakness that can be exploited by authenticated users with permissions to add bundles, comments, or sightings. This vulnerability exists within the core data handling components of the application, specifically in bundle.py, comment.py, and user.py modules, where user-supplied input is not properly sanitized before being rendered in web templates and data tables. The flaw stems from the application's failure to adequately validate and escape untrusted data, creating an environment where malicious JavaScript code can be injected and subsequently executed in the context of other users' browsers. The vulnerability's exploitation requires a user with existing access privileges to the vulnerability-lookup instance, making it a privilege escalation risk that can be leveraged by both internal and external attackers who have gained initial access to the system.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which describes Cross-Site Scripting flaws occurring when untrusted data is incorporated into web pages without proper validation or encoding. The application's insecure handling of user input manifests through multiple attack vectors including unsafe use of innerHTML assignments, insufficient validation of dynamic URLs, and inadequate sanitization of model fields. When attackers submit malicious payloads through the vulnerable components, the application processes these inputs and renders them directly into HTML output without proper HTML escaping or JavaScript encoding. This vulnerability specifically impacts the Bundles, Comments, and Sightings functionality where users can create and manage data entries, making it particularly dangerous as it allows attackers to inject malicious scripts that can persist and affect all users interacting with these components. The use of innerHTML instead of safer DOM manipulation methods creates an inherent risk that bypasses many standard browser security mechanisms designed to prevent script execution in HTML content.
The operational impact of CVE-2025-60249 extends beyond simple data theft or defacement, as it can enable attackers to establish persistent access to user sessions, steal sensitive information, or redirect users to malicious websites. When exploited, this vulnerability allows attackers to execute arbitrary JavaScript code in the context of other users' browsers, potentially leading to session hijacking, credential theft, or data exfiltration. The vulnerability affects the core functionality of the vulnerability-lookup system, which is designed for security professionals to track and manage vulnerability information, making the potential impact particularly severe. Attackers could leverage this weakness to inject malicious scripts that would execute whenever other users view the affected bundles, comments, or sightings, creating a persistent threat that could remain undetected for extended periods. The vulnerability also poses risks to the integrity of the vulnerability database itself, as attackers could modify or corrupt data entries that other security professionals rely upon for their work.
The mitigation strategy for CVE-2025-60249 involves comprehensive input validation and output encoding across all affected components. The fix addresses the vulnerability by implementing proper HTML escaping of untrusted data before rendering in templates, replacing dangerous innerHTML assignments with safer DOM manipulation methods such as textContent or createElement, and encoding URLs using encodeURIComponent to prevent script injection through dynamic URL parameters. Enhanced input validation has been implemented in the affected models to ensure that all user-supplied data is properly sanitized before processing. These remediation efforts align with established security best practices and address the specific weaknesses identified in the ATT&CK framework under techniques related to command and control, credential access, and execution through web application vulnerabilities. Organizations should prioritize updating to the patched version of vulnerability-lookup 2.16.0 and implement additional monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts. Security teams should also review their existing security controls to ensure that similar vulnerabilities do not exist in other components of their security tooling infrastructure, particularly those handling user-generated content or dynamic data rendering.