Overview
The open-source project Docusaurus, primarily used to build, deploy, and maintain open-source project websites, is grappling with a critical security vulnerability in its gists plugin. Specifically, versions prior to 4.0.0 of the docusaurus-plugin-content-gists are susceptible to an issue that exposes GitHub Personal Access Tokens. This issue is significant as it can lead to potential system compromises and data leakage. It is crucial for all users and organizations leveraging Docusaurus, especially those using the impacted plugin, to be aware of this vulnerability and take immediate remedial action.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-53624
Severity: Critical (10.0 CVSS Score)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Impact: System compromise, data leakage
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Product | Affected Versions
docusaurus-plugin-content-gists | versions prior to 4.0.0
How the Exploit Works
The vulnerability lies in the way the Docusaurus gists plugin handles GitHub Personal Access Tokens. These tokens are intended for build-time API access only. However, due to a flaw in the plugin, these tokens get included in the client-side JavaScript bundles in production build artifacts when passed through plugin configuration options. This exposes the tokens to anyone who can view the website’s source code, and hence, opens up an avenue for malicious actors to compromise the system or leak data.
Conceptual Example Code
An attacker could potentially exploit this vulnerability by inspecting the client-side JavaScript bundles on a website employing the affected Docusaurus plugin. Conceptually, the process would look something like this:
// Fetch the source code of the website
fetch('https://vulnerable-website.com/main.js')
.then(response => response.text())
.then((data) => {
// Search for the GitHub Personal Access Token in the JavaScript bundle
let regex = /token\s*:\s*'([a-zA-Z0-9]*)'/;
let match = data.match(regex);
if (match) {
// If found, the token can be used maliciously
console.log('GitHub token found:', match[1]);
}
});Mitigation and Vendor Patch
The vulnerability has been fixed in version 4.0.0 of the docusaurus-plugin-content-gists. Users are strongly advised to update their plugin to this version or later to mitigate the risk. In cases where immediate patching is not possible, deploying a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) may serve as a temporary mitigation measure. However, these are not long-term solutions and updating the plugin remains the most effective way to rectify this security issue.