CVE-2025-48868: horilla · Eval Injection
Affects horillaSource CVE Database V5
Not known to be exploited · public exploit available (Exploit-DB) · CVSS 7.2 High · fixed in 1.3.1 : patch horilla as a priority.
Data as of 25 Oct 2026, 19:02 UTC
- EPSS
- 2.4% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 84% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
- Patch
- Available – fixed in 1.3.1
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HExploitation evidence
t = 0 is the CVE’s publication on cve.org
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 24 Sep 2025
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: evidence found.
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors
Timeline
CVE ID reserved
by GitHub_M
, 120 days before disclosure
CVE published
on cve.org
, t = 0
In Threat Radar
record ingested
, 3 minutes after disclosure
First Exploit-DB entry (opens in a new tab)
Horilla v1.3 - RCE
, 196 days after disclosure
A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 2026-10-25.
What to do
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| horilla-opensource horilla | Affected
| Fixed in– |
AI-suggested
Organizations using Horilla 1.3.0 should immediately upgrade to version 1.3.1 or later, where this vulnerability is patched. Beyond patching, it is critical to enforce strict access controls and monitor privileged user activities to detect any anomalous behavior. Disabling Django's DEBUG mode in production environments is essential to reduce information leakage during exploitation attempts. Implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA) for administrator accounts can reduce the risk of credential compromise. Additionally, network segmentation should be employed to isolate HRMS servers from other critical infrastructure, limiting lateral movement opportunities. Regular security audits and code reviews focusing on the use of dynamic code evaluation functions like eval() can prevent similar vulnerabilities. Finally, deploying intrusion detection systems (IDS) and endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions can help identify exploitation attempts, especially blind payloads such as reverse shells.
Description
Horilla is a free and open source Human Resource Management System (HRMS). An authenticated Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerability exists in Horilla 1.3.0 due to the unsafe use of Python’s eval() function on a user-controlled query parameter in the project_bulk_archive view. This allows privileged users (e.g., administrators) to execute arbitrary system commands on the server. While having Django’s DEBUG=True makes exploitation visibly easier by returning command output in the HTTP response, this is not required. The vulnerability can still be exploited in DEBUG=False mode by using blind payloads such as a reverse shell, leading to full remote code execution. This issue has been patched in version 1.3.1.
References
- github.com/horilla-opensource/horilla/security/advisories/GHSA-h6qj-pwmx-wjhw (opens in a new tab)
- github.com/horilla-opensource/horilla/commit/b0aab62b3a5fe6b7114b5c58db129b3744b4d8cc (opens in a new tab)
- drive.google.com/file/d/1XQAJilt77QxkjGEa94CsZRqZIZXa3ET9/view?usp=sharing (opens in a new tab)
- drive.google.com/file/d/1hnI9AK3fnpVrTlTRF7aRJsKhZCDIm2Ve/view?usp=sharing (opens in a new tab)