CVE-2025-32070 is a security vulnerability identified in the AJAX Poll Extension of the MediaWiki platform maintained by The Wikimedia Foundation. The vulnerability arises from improper input validation (CWE-20) in versions 1.39 through 1.43 of this extension. Specifically, the flaw allows an attacker to inject malicious scripts via user-supplied input that is not properly sanitized or validated before being processed or rendered. This leads to a Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability, where an attacker can execute arbitrary JavaScript code in the context of users visiting a vulnerable MediaWiki instance with the AJAX Poll Extension enabled. The vulnerability was published on April 11, 2025, and no CVSS score has been assigned yet. There are no known exploits in the wild at the time of publication. The AJAX Poll Extension is used to add interactive polling features to MediaWiki pages, which are widely used for collaborative documentation and knowledge sharing. The improper input validation likely occurs in the handling of poll data or user responses, enabling injection of malicious payloads that can compromise user sessions, steal cookies, perform actions on behalf of users, or redirect users to malicious sites. Given the nature of XSS, the vulnerability primarily impacts the confidentiality and integrity of user data and can also affect availability if leveraged for phishing or social engineering attacks within the wiki environment.

For European organizations using MediaWiki with the AJAX Poll Extension, this vulnerability poses a significant risk to the confidentiality and integrity of their internal or public-facing knowledge bases. Attackers exploiting this XSS flaw could hijack user sessions, steal authentication tokens, or manipulate content, potentially leading to unauthorized access or misinformation dissemination. Organizations relying on MediaWiki for collaborative documentation, especially in sectors like government, education, and research, could face reputational damage and operational disruption. Since MediaWiki is often used in multilingual and multi-regional deployments, the impact could extend across various departments and user groups. Additionally, if exploited in public-facing wikis, attackers could target a broad user base, increasing the risk of widespread phishing or malware distribution campaigns. The absence of known exploits currently reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the threat, especially as attackers may develop exploits once patches are available or if the vulnerability is disclosed publicly without mitigation.

To mitigate this vulnerability, organizations should prioritize updating the AJAX Poll Extension to a patched version once it becomes available from The Wikimedia Foundation. In the interim, administrators should consider disabling the AJAX Poll Extension if it is not critical to operations to eliminate the attack surface. Implementing strict Content Security Policy (CSP) headers can help reduce the impact of XSS by restricting the execution of unauthorized scripts. Additionally, input validation and output encoding should be enforced at the application level, ensuring that any user-supplied data is sanitized before rendering. Regular security audits and penetration testing focused on MediaWiki extensions can help identify similar issues proactively. Monitoring web traffic for suspicious activity and educating users about phishing risks associated with XSS attacks are also recommended. Finally, organizations should subscribe to security advisories from The Wikimedia Foundation to receive timely updates and patches.