The vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-55473 affects the Asian Arts Talents Foundation (AATF) Website version 5.1.x and its Docker deployment version 2024.12.8.1. It is a Cross Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability located in the /ip.php endpoint. This endpoint processes the X-Forwarded-For HTTP header, which is commonly used to identify the originating IP address of a client connecting through a proxy or load balancer. The vulnerability arises because the application fails to properly sanitize or encode the contents of this header before reflecting it in the HTTP response. Consequently, an attacker can craft a malicious X-Forwarded-For header containing JavaScript code. When a victim visits the vulnerable page, the injected script executes in their browser context, potentially allowing the attacker to steal session cookies, perform actions on behalf of the user, or redirect the user to malicious sites. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the vulnerability is publicly disclosed and can be exploited without authentication or user interaction beyond visiting the affected page. The lack of a CVSS score indicates that the severity has not been formally assessed, but the technical details suggest a classic reflected XSS scenario with significant risk to user confidentiality and integrity. The vulnerability affects both the web application and its Dockerized deployment, implying that organizations using containerized environments are also at risk. No patches or mitigation links have been provided, indicating that immediate defensive measures are necessary.

For European organizations, this XSS vulnerability poses a significant risk to the confidentiality and integrity of user data, especially for websites that handle sensitive information or user authentication. Attackers exploiting this flaw can hijack user sessions, steal credentials, or conduct phishing attacks by injecting malicious scripts. This can lead to data breaches, reputational damage, and regulatory non-compliance under GDPR, which mandates strict protection of personal data. The vulnerability could also be leveraged to distribute malware or conduct further attacks within the victim's network. Since the vulnerability is in a publicly accessible endpoint and does not require authentication, it can be exploited at scale, increasing the risk of widespread impact. Organizations using the affected versions of AATF Website or its Docker images need to be particularly vigilant. The impact is heightened for European entities involved in cultural, educational, or artistic sectors that may use this platform, as well as any third-party service providers integrating this software. Additionally, the presence of the vulnerability in Docker deployments suggests that container orchestration environments could be indirectly affected, potentially impacting cloud infrastructure security.

Immediate mitigation steps include implementing strict input validation and output encoding on the /ip.php endpoint to sanitize the X-Forwarded-For header before rendering it in responses. Web application firewalls (WAFs) should be configured to detect and block suspicious X-Forwarded-For header values containing script tags or other malicious payloads. Organizations should audit their deployments to identify instances of AATF Website v5.1.x and the specified Docker version and isolate or restrict access to vulnerable endpoints until patches are available. Employing Content Security Policy (CSP) headers can reduce the impact of XSS by restricting the execution of inline scripts and external resources. Regular security testing, including automated scanning for XSS vulnerabilities, should be conducted. Monitoring web server logs for unusual or malformed X-Forwarded-For headers can help detect exploitation attempts. Finally, organizations should engage with the vendor or community maintaining the AATF Website to obtain or request security patches and update affected systems promptly once fixes are released.