CVE-2025-12298 is a Cross Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability identified in the Simple Food Ordering System version 1.0 developed by code-projects. The vulnerability exists in the /editcategory.php file, where the pname parameter is improperly sanitized, allowing an attacker to inject malicious JavaScript code. This flaw can be exploited remotely without any authentication or privileges, requiring only user interaction to trigger the malicious script execution in the victim's browser. The vulnerability is classified as reflected XSS, where the injected code is reflected off the web server in the response. The CVSS 4.0 base score is 5.3 (medium severity), reflecting the network attack vector, low complexity, no privileges required, but requiring user interaction. The impact primarily affects confidentiality and integrity by enabling session hijacking, cookie theft, or manipulation of the web interface. Availability impact is minimal. Although no active exploits in the wild are reported, proof-of-concept exploits are publicly available, increasing the risk of exploitation. The vulnerability arises due to insufficient input validation and output encoding in the affected parameter. The Simple Food Ordering System is typically used by small to medium-sized food service businesses to manage orders and categories, making the vulnerability relevant to organizations relying on this software for online ordering and menu management.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a risk mainly to the confidentiality and integrity of user sessions and data. Attackers could hijack user sessions, steal sensitive information such as login credentials or personal data, or deface the ordering system's interface, damaging brand reputation and customer trust. In the food service sector, this could disrupt online ordering processes, potentially leading to financial losses and operational disruptions. Since the vulnerability requires user interaction, phishing or social engineering campaigns could be used to lure users into triggering the exploit. The impact is more pronounced for organizations that rely heavily on this software for customer-facing services, especially those with high volumes of online orders. Additionally, regulatory compliance under GDPR may be affected if personal data is compromised, leading to legal and financial consequences. The lack of a patch increases the urgency for alternative mitigations to prevent exploitation.

1. Implement strict input validation on the pname parameter to allow only expected characters and reject any suspicious input. 2. Apply proper output encoding (e.g., HTML entity encoding) before rendering user-supplied data in the web page to prevent script execution. 3. Use Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict the execution of inline scripts and reduce the impact of XSS attacks. 4. If possible, upgrade to a patched version of the Simple Food Ordering System once available or contact the vendor for a security update. 5. Employ web application firewalls (WAF) with rules tailored to detect and block XSS payloads targeting the affected endpoint. 6. Conduct user awareness training to recognize phishing attempts that could lead to exploitation. 7. Regularly monitor web server logs for suspicious requests targeting /editcategory.php with unusual pname parameter values. 8. Consider isolating the ordering system in a segmented network zone to limit lateral movement in case of compromise.