CVE-2025-52647 is a vulnerability identified in HCL Software's BigFix WebUI version 11, classified under CWE-644, which involves improper neutralization of HTTP headers for scripting syntax. The vulnerability arises because the WebUI application reflects the HOST information from the HTTP header field directly in its responses without adequate sanitization or validation. This flaw enables Host Header Poisoning attacks, where an attacker can manipulate the Host header in HTTP requests to inject malicious content or alter application behavior. Such attacks can lead to web cache poisoning, password reset poisoning, or redirecting users to malicious websites, thereby compromising confidentiality and integrity of user sessions or data. The vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 6.1, indicating medium severity, with attack vector network (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), but requiring user interaction (UI:R). The scope is changed (S:C), affecting components beyond the vulnerable component. No known exploits have been reported in the wild as of the published date. The vulnerability was reserved in June 2025 and published in October 2025. The absence of patches at the time of reporting necessitates immediate attention to mitigation strategies. Given BigFix's role in endpoint management and patch deployment, exploitation could undermine organizational security postures by redirecting users or poisoning caches, potentially facilitating further attacks.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-52647 can be significant, especially for those relying on HCL BigFix WebUI for endpoint management, patch deployment, and security operations. Host Header Poisoning can lead to unauthorized redirection of users to malicious sites, undermining trust and potentially exposing users to phishing or malware. Web cache poisoning could result in serving malicious content to legitimate users, affecting availability and integrity of web resources. Password reset poisoning could allow attackers to hijack accounts or escalate privileges. Since BigFix often manages critical infrastructure endpoints, exploitation could cascade into broader security incidents. The medium CVSS score reflects moderate risk, but the changed scope and ease of network exploitation without privileges heighten concern. European sectors such as finance, healthcare, and government, which depend heavily on endpoint management tools, may face increased risk of data breaches or operational disruption. The lack of known exploits currently provides a window for proactive mitigation before active exploitation emerges.

To mitigate CVE-2025-52647 effectively, European organizations should implement the following specific measures: 1) Immediately audit all BigFix WebUI deployments to confirm version 11 usage and isolate vulnerable instances. 2) Apply any available vendor patches or updates as soon as they are released by HCL Software. 3) In the absence of patches, implement strict validation and sanitization of the Host header at the web server or reverse proxy level to reject or normalize unexpected or suspicious host values. 4) Configure web application firewalls (WAFs) to detect and block anomalous Host header patterns indicative of poisoning attempts. 5) Monitor HTTP logs for unusual Host header values or repeated failed requests that could signal probing or exploitation attempts. 6) Educate users about phishing risks associated with URL manipulation and encourage verification of URLs before interaction. 7) Review password reset and other sensitive workflows to ensure they do not rely solely on Host header values for security decisions. 8) Employ network segmentation to limit exposure of BigFix WebUI to only trusted internal networks or VPNs. 9) Conduct penetration testing focused on Host header manipulation to validate defenses. 10) Maintain up-to-date incident response plans to quickly address any exploitation attempts.