CVE-2025-41037 is a stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability identified in version 4.0.5 of the appRain CMF (Content Management Framework). The vulnerability arises from improper neutralization of user input, specifically through the 'data[FileManager][search]' parameter in the /apprain/admin/filemanager endpoint. This parameter does not adequately validate or sanitize input before reflecting it in web pages, allowing an authenticated attacker to inject malicious scripts that are stored on the server and executed in the context of other users' browsers when they access the affected functionality. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-79, which pertains to improper input validation leading to XSS. According to the CVSS v4.0 vector, the vulnerability has an attack vector of network (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:L - low privileges), and requires user interaction (UI:P). The impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability is none (VC:N, VI:N, VA:N), but the scope is limited (SC:L), and the impact is limited to the same security scope (SI:L). This results in a medium severity rating with a CVSS score of 5.1. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the vulnerability could be leveraged by attackers to execute arbitrary JavaScript in the context of authenticated users, potentially leading to session hijacking, privilege escalation, or unauthorized actions within the appRain CMF administrative interface. The vulnerability affects only version 4.0.5 of the product, and no official patches have been linked yet. The vulnerability was reserved in April 2025 and published in September 2025 by INCIBE, indicating recent discovery and disclosure.

For European organizations using appRain CMF version 4.0.5, this vulnerability poses a risk primarily to administrative users who have authenticated access to the file manager component. Successful exploitation could allow attackers to execute malicious scripts within the browser sessions of these users, potentially leading to session hijacking, theft of authentication tokens, or unauthorized actions such as uploading or modifying files. While the vulnerability does not directly compromise confidentiality, integrity, or availability of the system at a technical level, the indirect consequences of XSS attacks can be significant, including data leakage, defacement, or pivoting to further attacks within the network. Organizations relying on appRain CMF for content management or internal portals may face reputational damage and operational disruption if attackers exploit this vulnerability. The requirement for low privileges and user interaction means that attackers need an authenticated user to trigger the malicious payload, which somewhat limits the attack surface but does not eliminate risk, especially in environments with many users or where social engineering is feasible. Given the lack of known exploits in the wild, the immediate risk is moderate, but the potential for exploitation remains, especially if attackers develop automated tools targeting this flaw.

1. Immediate mitigation should include restricting access to the /apprain/admin/filemanager endpoint to trusted administrators only, using network segmentation and access control lists to limit exposure. 2. Implement strict input validation and output encoding on the 'data[FileManager][search]' parameter to neutralize any injected scripts. This can be done by applying context-aware encoding (e.g., HTML entity encoding) and using security libraries or frameworks that automatically handle XSS protection. 3. Monitor web server logs and application logs for unusual or suspicious input patterns targeting the vulnerable parameter. 4. Educate administrative users about the risks of clicking on untrusted links or executing unknown scripts, as user interaction is required for exploitation. 5. Apply Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules that detect and block typical XSS payloads targeting the affected parameter. 6. Regularly check for and apply official patches or updates from appRain once available. 7. Conduct security testing and code review of the appRain CMF installation to identify and remediate any other potential input validation issues. 8. Consider implementing Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to reduce the impact of any successful XSS exploitation by restricting script execution sources.