CVE-2025-52074 identifies a Cross Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the PHPGURUKUL Online Shopping Portal version 2.1. The vulnerability arises due to insufficient input sanitization of the 'quantity' parameter when users add products to their shopping cart. Specifically, the application fails to properly validate or encode user-supplied input in this parameter, allowing an attacker to inject malicious scripts. When such scripts are executed in the context of a victim's browser, they can lead to session hijacking, credential theft, defacement, or redirection to malicious sites. Although the affected version is specified as 2.1, no detailed version range is provided, and no official patches or exploit code are currently known in the wild. The lack of a CVSS score indicates that this vulnerability has not yet been fully assessed for severity. However, XSS vulnerabilities are generally considered serious because they can compromise user trust and data confidentiality, especially in e-commerce environments where sensitive personal and payment information is handled. The vulnerability is client-side in nature but can be exploited remotely without authentication, increasing its risk profile. The absence of input sanitization on a parameter that directly influences the shopping cart functionality suggests a design or implementation oversight in the web application’s input validation mechanisms.

For European organizations operating or using the PHPGURUKUL Online Shopping Portal 2.1, this XSS vulnerability poses significant risks. Attackers could exploit this flaw to execute arbitrary JavaScript in the browsers of customers or administrators, potentially stealing session cookies, redirecting users to phishing sites, or manipulating the shopping experience. This could lead to financial fraud, reputational damage, and loss of customer trust. Given the portal's role in processing orders, any compromise could disrupt business operations and expose personal data protected under GDPR, leading to regulatory penalties. Additionally, if attackers leverage this vulnerability as a foothold, it could be combined with other attacks to escalate privileges or conduct further intrusions. The lack of known exploits currently limits immediate widespread impact, but the vulnerability's presence in an e-commerce context makes it a high-value target for cybercriminals focusing on financial gain or data theft within Europe.

To mitigate this vulnerability, organizations should immediately implement strict input validation and output encoding on the 'quantity' parameter within the PHPGURUKUL Online Shopping Portal. Specifically, the application should enforce that the quantity parameter accepts only numeric values within a valid range, rejecting or sanitizing any input containing script or HTML tags. Employing a robust web application firewall (WAF) with rules targeting XSS payloads can provide an additional protective layer. Developers should adopt secure coding practices such as using context-aware encoding libraries (e.g., OWASP Java Encoder or PHP htmlspecialchars) to neutralize any injected scripts. Regular security testing, including automated scanning and manual penetration testing focused on input fields, should be conducted to detect similar vulnerabilities. Organizations should also monitor for updates or patches from the vendor and apply them promptly once available. Finally, educating developers and QA teams on secure input handling and XSS risks will help prevent recurrence.