CVE-2025-59524: horilla XSS — Exploit & Fix

Description

Horilla is a free and open source Human Resource Management System (HRMS). Prior to version 1.4.0, the file upload flow performs validation only in the browser and does not enforce server-side checks. An attacker can bypass the client-side validation (for example, with an intercepting proxy or by submitting a crafted request) to store an executable HTML document on the server. When an administrator or other privileged user views the uploaded file, the embedded script runs in their context and sends session cookies (or other credentials) to an attacker-controlled endpoint. The attacker then reuses those credentials to impersonate the admin. This issue has been patched in version 1.4.0.

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CVSS v3.1 Score

6.1

MEDIUM

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N

Weakness Type (CWE)

CWE-79 Cross-site Scripting (XSS)

CWE-434 Unrestricted Upload

Affected Products

Vendor	Product	Versions
horilla	horilla	< 1.4.0

References

Advisories & Patches

https://github.com/horilla-opensource/horilla/security/advisories/GHSA-mff9-p8j9-9v5q

Exploits

https://github.com/Mmo-kali/CVE/blob/main/CVE-2025-59524/2025-08-Horilla_Vulnerability_3.pdf https://github.com/horilla-opensource/horilla/security/advisories/GHSA-mff9-p8j9-9v5q

Other References

https://github.com/horilla-opensource/horilla/releases/tag/1.4.0

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2025-59524? +

Horilla is a free and open source Human Resource Management System (HRMS). Prior to version 1.4.0, the file upload flow performs validation only in the browser and does not enforce server-side checks. An attacker can bypass the client-side validation (for example, with an intercepting proxy or by submitting a crafted request) to store an executable HTML document on the server. When an administrator or other privileged user views the uploaded file, the embedded script runs in their context and sends session cookies (or other credentials) to an attacker-controlled endpoint. The attacker then reuses those credentials to impersonate the admin. This issue has been patched in version 1.4.0. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.1 (MEDIUM).

How severe is CVE-2025-59524? +

CVE-2025-59524 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 6.1 out of 10, rated MEDIUM. This is a medium-severity vulnerability that should be remediated as part of regular maintenance.

What products are affected by CVE-2025-59524? +

CVE-2025-59524 affects products from horilla, specifically: horilla. Check the affected products table above for specific version ranges.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2025-59524? +

You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

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CVE-2025-59524