CVE-2025-54296 is a high-severity stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability affecting the ProFiles component versions 1.0 through 1.5.0 for Joomla, a widely used content management system (CMS). The vulnerability arises from improper neutralization of input during web page generation (CWE-79), allowing an attacker to inject malicious scripts that are permanently stored on the target server and executed in the context of users visiting the affected pages. Exploitation requires high privileges (PR:H) and user interaction (UI:A), with a high attack complexity (AC:H). The vulnerability impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability by enabling attackers to steal session tokens, perform actions on behalf of authenticated users, or deliver malicious payloads. The CVSS 4.0 vector indicates network attack vector (AV:N), no privileges required for attack initiation (AT:N), but high privileges needed (PR:H), user interaction required (UI:A), and high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability (VC:H, VI:H, VA:N). No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches have been published yet. The vulnerability was reserved and published in July 2025, indicating recent discovery. Since Joomla is a popular CMS in Europe, especially among small and medium enterprises and public sector websites, this vulnerability poses a significant risk if the ProFiles component is used without proper mitigation.

For European organizations, this vulnerability can lead to significant security incidents including session hijacking, unauthorized actions, and data theft, especially in sectors relying on Joomla-based websites such as government portals, educational institutions, and SMEs. Stored XSS can facilitate phishing attacks, defacement, and distribution of malware, damaging organizational reputation and causing regulatory compliance issues under GDPR due to potential data breaches. The requirement for high privileges to exploit somewhat limits the attack surface but does not eliminate risk, as compromised or insider accounts could be leveraged. The need for user interaction means social engineering or targeted campaigns could be used to trigger the exploit. Given the widespread use of Joomla in Europe and the popularity of the ProFiles component for user profile management, the impact could be broad if not addressed promptly.

Organizations should immediately audit their Joomla installations to identify use of the ProFiles component versions 1.0 to 1.5.0. Until an official patch is released, mitigation should include disabling or uninstalling the vulnerable component, restricting access to administrative interfaces to trusted IPs, and implementing Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block typical XSS payloads targeting the component. Input validation and output encoding should be enforced at the application level where possible. Monitoring logs for unusual activity and user behavior analytics can help detect exploitation attempts. Additionally, educating privileged users about the risks of social engineering and ensuring strong authentication mechanisms (e.g., MFA) can reduce the risk of privilege abuse. Organizations should subscribe to vendor advisories for timely patch releases and apply updates promptly once available.