Overview
The cybersecurity landscape is consistently evolving, with new vulnerabilities being discovered frequently. One such vulnerability, identified as CVE-2025-52797, poses a significant threat to the security of a popular content management tool, josepsitjar StoryMap. This Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability, if exploited, could lead to SQL Injection, potentially compromising systems and leading to data leakage.
The severity of the threat is underlined by a CVSS Severity Score of 8.2, indicating its high-risk nature. The vulnerability affects all StoryMap versions up to and including 2.1. It is of utmost importance for users and administrators of this software to understand the risks associated with this vulnerability and the steps that can be taken to mitigate it.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-52797
Severity: High (8.2 CVSS score)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: Required
Impact: System compromise and potential data leakage
Affected Products
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Product | Affected Versions
josepsitjar StoryMap | n/a through 2.1
How the Exploit Works
This CSRF vulnerability leverages the trust that a web application has in a user’s browser, and tricks the user into making a malicious request. It does this by exploiting the application’s trust in the user’s identity and by masking the true nature of the request.
Once the CSRF exploit is successful, it can pave the way for an SQL Injection attack. By injecting malicious SQL code into the web application, an attacker can manipulate the database, possibly leading to unauthorized access to sensitive data, modification of data, or even deletion of data.
Conceptual Example Code
Below is a conceptual example of how the vulnerability might be exploited. This example uses an HTTP POST request to a vulnerable endpoint, sending a malicious payload that could lead to SQL Injection.
POST /vulnerable/endpoint HTTP/1.1
Host: target.example.com
Content-Type: application/json
{
"malicious_payload": "' OR '1'='1'; DROP TABLE users; --"
}This payload could potentially delete the ‘users’ table from the database, leading to a significant data loss and system compromise. While this is a simplified example, it underscores the potential severity of the vulnerability.
Mitigation Guidance
It is strongly recommended to apply the vendor patch as soon as it is available to mitigate this vulnerability. In the interim, the use of a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can provide temporary mitigation. Regular updates and adherence to cybersecurity best practices are also recommended to protect against such vulnerabilities.