CVE-2025-5013 is a cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability identified in HkCms, a content management system, affecting versions up to 2.3.2.240702. The vulnerability resides in the Search component, specifically within the /index.php/search/index.html file, where the 'keyword' parameter is improperly sanitized. This flaw allows an attacker to inject malicious scripts remotely without requiring authentication or elevated privileges. When a victim accesses a crafted URL containing the malicious payload in the keyword parameter, the injected script executes in the victim's browser context. This can lead to session hijacking, defacement, phishing, or redirection to malicious sites. The vulnerability has a CVSS 4.0 base score of 5.3, indicating a medium severity level. The attack vector is network-based (remote), with low attack complexity, no privileges required, but user interaction is necessary (the victim must visit the malicious link). The impact primarily affects confidentiality and integrity at a low level, with no direct impact on availability or system control. Although no official patches or vendor advisories are currently available, public exploit details have been disclosed, increasing the risk of exploitation. No known exploits in the wild have been reported yet, but the public disclosure heightens the urgency for mitigation.

For European organizations using HkCms, this vulnerability poses a moderate risk. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized script execution in users' browsers, potentially compromising user credentials, session tokens, or enabling social engineering attacks. Organizations relying on HkCms for public-facing websites or intranet portals may face reputational damage, data leakage, or unauthorized access to user accounts. Given that the attack requires user interaction, phishing campaigns could be used to lure employees or customers into triggering the exploit. This is particularly concerning for sectors with sensitive data such as finance, healthcare, and government services. Additionally, the presence of this vulnerability could be leveraged as an initial foothold for more complex attacks if combined with other vulnerabilities or misconfigurations. The medium severity rating suggests that while the threat is not critical, it should not be ignored, especially in environments where HkCms is widely deployed or integrated with other critical systems.

European organizations should immediately audit their web applications to identify any use of HkCms version 2.3.2.240702 or earlier. Since no official patch is currently available, organizations should implement the following mitigations: 1) Apply input validation and output encoding on the 'keyword' parameter in the Search component to neutralize malicious scripts. 2) Employ Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) with rules specifically targeting XSS payloads in URL parameters to block exploit attempts. 3) Educate users and employees about the risks of clicking on suspicious links, especially those that appear to come from untrusted sources. 4) Monitor web server logs for unusual query strings or repeated access attempts to /index.php/search/index.html with suspicious keywords. 5) Consider isolating or disabling the vulnerable Search functionality if it is not critical to operations until a vendor patch is released. 6) Stay updated with vendor advisories and apply official patches promptly once available. 7) Implement Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict script execution sources, reducing the impact of potential XSS attacks.