CVE-2025-48204 is a vulnerability classified under CWE-78, indicating improper neutralization of special elements used in an OS command, commonly known as OS Command Injection. This vulnerability affects the ns_backup extension for TYPO3, a widely used open-source content management system (CMS). Specifically, the ns_backup extension through version 13.0.0 allows an attacker with high privileges to inject arbitrary OS commands due to insufficient input sanitization or validation. The vulnerability is exploitable remotely (AV:N) with low attack complexity (AC:L), but requires the attacker to have high privileges (PR:H) on the TYPO3 system, and no user interaction is needed (UI:N). The scope is changed (S:C), meaning the vulnerability can affect resources beyond the initially vulnerable component. The impact is high on confidentiality (C:H), but no impact on integrity (I:N) or availability (A:N) is noted. This suggests that an attacker could execute OS commands that may expose sensitive data or system information without necessarily altering data or causing denial of service. No known exploits are currently in the wild, and no patches have been linked yet. TYPO3's ns_backup extension is used for backing up site data, so exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to backup contents or system information. The vulnerability was published on May 21, 2025, and has a CVSS v3.1 score of 6.8, categorized as medium severity.

For European organizations using TYPO3 CMS with the ns_backup extension, this vulnerability poses a significant risk to the confidentiality of sensitive data. Since TYPO3 is popular among public sector institutions, universities, and enterprises in Europe, exploitation could lead to unauthorized disclosure of backup data, which may include personal data protected under GDPR. The requirement for high privileges limits the attack surface to insiders or attackers who have already compromised an account with elevated rights, but once exploited, the attacker could extract sensitive information without detection. This could result in data breaches, reputational damage, and regulatory penalties. The lack of impact on integrity and availability reduces the risk of service disruption or data tampering but does not diminish the seriousness of potential data leaks. The changed scope indicates that the attack could affect other system components, potentially widening the impact. Given the absence of known exploits, organizations have a window to remediate before active exploitation occurs.

European organizations should immediately audit their TYPO3 installations to identify the presence and version of the ns_backup extension. Since no official patch links are provided yet, organizations should consider the following specific actions: 1) Restrict access to TYPO3 administrative accounts to trusted personnel only, enforcing strong authentication and monitoring for suspicious activity. 2) Temporarily disable or uninstall the ns_backup extension if backups can be managed through alternative secure means until a patch is available. 3) Implement strict input validation and sanitization at the application level if custom modifications are possible, to neutralize special characters in backup-related inputs. 4) Monitor system logs and backup operations for unusual command execution or access patterns. 5) Employ network segmentation and least privilege principles to limit the impact of any potential compromise. 6) Stay updated with TYPO3 security advisories and apply patches promptly once released. 7) Consider deploying Web Application Firewalls (WAF) with custom rules to detect and block command injection attempts targeting the ns_backup extension.