CVE-2025-67484 in MediaWiki
Summary
by MITRE • 02/03/2026
Vulnerability in Wikimedia Foundation MediaWiki. This vulnerability is associated with program files includes/Api/ApiFormatXml.Php.
This issue affects MediaWiki: from * before 1.39.16, 1.43.6, 1.44.3, 1.45.1.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/03/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-67484 represents a critical security flaw within the Wikimedia Foundation MediaWiki platform that specifically targets the ApiFormatXml.php program file. This issue exists in multiple version ranges of the MediaWiki software, affecting versions prior to 1.39.16, 1.43.6, 1.44.3, and 1.45.1, indicating a widespread impact across several major release branches. The vulnerability stems from improper handling of XML formatting within the API response generation process, creating potential attack vectors that could be exploited by malicious actors to manipulate or compromise the system's data handling mechanisms. This flaw resides in the core infrastructure of MediaWiki's API framework, making it particularly dangerous as it could affect the integrity and confidentiality of data exchanged through the platform's application programming interface.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs within the ApiFormatXml.php file where XML serialization and formatting operations are processed in response to API requests. The flaw likely involves inadequate input validation or sanitization of data elements that are subsequently formatted into XML structures, potentially allowing attackers to inject malicious content or manipulate the XML output in ways that could lead to XML external entity (XXE) attacks, XML injection, or other related vulnerabilities. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-611 (Improper Restriction of XML External Entities) and CWE-94 (Improper Control of Generation of Code) categories, as it involves the improper handling of data that gets converted into executable code structures. The vulnerability's location within the API formatting layer means that any application or service utilizing MediaWiki's API functionality could be at risk when interacting with systems that process XML responses, creating potential cascading effects across interconnected platforms that depend on MediaWiki's API services.
The operational impact of CVE-2025-67484 extends beyond simple data corruption or unauthorized access, as it could enable sophisticated attack patterns that leverage the XML processing capabilities of the MediaWiki platform. Attackers could potentially exploit this vulnerability to perform server-side request forgery attacks, extract sensitive information from the underlying system, or even achieve remote code execution depending on the specific implementation details. The vulnerability's presence in multiple release branches suggests that organizations maintaining various MediaWiki installations across different versions may be simultaneously exposed to the same risk, creating a significant challenge for security teams responsible for patch management and vulnerability remediation. This type of vulnerability would be categorized under ATT&CK technique T1213.002 (Exploitation for Data Exfiltration) and potentially T1068 (Exploitation for Privilege Escalation) depending on the specific attack vectors that can be leveraged, making it particularly concerning for organizations that rely on MediaWiki for critical content management and information sharing platforms.
Organizations utilizing MediaWiki systems should immediately implement remediation measures by upgrading to the patched versions specified in the advisory, which include versions 1.39.16, 1.43.6, 1.44.3, and 1.45.1 respectively. The patching process should be prioritized across all affected installations and thoroughly tested to ensure compatibility with existing workflows and custom extensions. Additionally, security teams should implement network monitoring to detect potential exploitation attempts and consider implementing additional input validation controls at the application level as a defensive measure. Organizations should also review their API access controls and implement rate limiting mechanisms to reduce the potential impact of any exploitation attempts. The vulnerability represents a clear example of how seemingly minor implementation flaws in core framework components can create significant security risks, emphasizing the importance of maintaining up-to-date software versions and conducting regular security assessments of critical infrastructure components. Security monitoring should focus on detecting anomalous API requests that might indicate exploitation attempts, particularly those involving unusual XML structures or malformed data patterns that could be indicative of XXE or similar attacks against the vulnerable API formatting functionality.