CVE-2025-0666 is a high-severity vulnerability classified under CWE-79, which pertains to improper neutralization of input during web page generation, commonly known as Cross-site Scripting (XSS). This vulnerability affects the BOINC Server software up to version 1.4.7. Specifically, it is a Stored XSS flaw, meaning that malicious input submitted to the server is persistently stored and later rendered in web pages without proper sanitization or encoding. This allows an attacker to inject arbitrary scripts into web pages viewed by other users. The CVSS 4.0 base score is 7.0, indicating a high severity level. The vector string (CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:A/VC:L/VI:H/VA:L/SC:L/SI:L/SA:N) shows that the attack can be performed remotely over the network without privileges or authentication, but requires user interaction (e.g., a user clicking a malicious link or viewing a compromised page). The impact on confidentiality is low, but integrity and availability impacts are high, suggesting that the injected scripts could manipulate data or disrupt service. The scope is limited to the vulnerable BOINC Server instance, and there is no indication of privilege escalation or system-wide compromise. No known exploits are reported in the wild yet, and no patches are currently linked, indicating that mitigation may require custom or manual intervention until official fixes are released. The vulnerability was reserved in January 2025 and published in May 2025 by NCSC.ch, reflecting a recent disclosure. The BOINC Server is a platform used for volunteer computing projects, which often involve scientific research and distributed computing tasks. The vulnerability arises from insufficient input validation and output encoding in web page generation components of the server software, allowing attackers to embed malicious JavaScript code that executes in the browsers of users accessing the affected web interface.

For European organizations utilizing BOINC Server, especially research institutions, universities, and scientific collaborations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk. Exploitation could lead to session hijacking, credential theft, or unauthorized actions performed on behalf of legitimate users, undermining trust in the platform. Since BOINC Servers coordinate distributed computing tasks, manipulation of task data or results could compromise the integrity of scientific computations or data collection. Additionally, injected scripts could be used to deliver further malware or conduct phishing attacks targeting users of the platform. The requirement for user interaction means that social engineering or phishing campaigns could be used to trigger the exploit. While confidentiality impact is low, the potential for integrity and availability disruption could delay or invalidate research outcomes, causing reputational damage and operational setbacks. Given the collaborative nature of many European research projects, a compromised BOINC Server could have cascading effects across multiple institutions. Furthermore, the lack of available patches increases the window of exposure, necessitating immediate mitigation efforts.

1. Immediate mitigation should include implementing strict input validation and output encoding on all user-supplied data rendered in web pages, focusing on HTML escaping and context-aware sanitization to prevent script injection. 2. Deploy Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to detect and block typical XSS payloads targeting BOINC Server interfaces. 3. Restrict access to the BOINC Server web interface to trusted networks or VPNs to reduce exposure to external attackers. 4. Educate users about the risks of clicking unknown links or interacting with suspicious content related to the BOINC platform to reduce successful exploitation via social engineering. 5. Monitor server logs and web traffic for unusual patterns indicative of XSS attempts or exploitation. 6. If feasible, isolate the BOINC Server environment to limit the impact of potential compromise on other systems. 7. Engage with the BOINC development community or vendor to obtain or expedite patches addressing this vulnerability. 8. Consider implementing Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict the execution of unauthorized scripts in browsers accessing the BOINC Server. 9. Regularly update and audit the BOINC Server software and dependencies to incorporate security improvements once patches become available.