CVE-2025-57805 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting versions 1.0 and 1.1 of the tsc-web-client, the web client component of The-Scratch-Channel, a news website platform. The vulnerability stems from improper input validation (CWE-20) in the POST request handler responsible for publishing articles. Specifically, an unauthenticated attacker can craft a POST request to the article publishing endpoint to create articles in any category and with any publication date, bypassing authentication and authorization controls. This means that the attacker can publish arbitrary content, potentially misleading or malicious, without needing to log in or have any privileges. The vulnerability has been patched in version 1.2 of the tsc-web-client. The CVSS 4.0 base score is 8.7, indicating a high severity, with attack vector network (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), no user interaction (UI:N), and high impact on integrity (VI:H) but no impact on confidentiality or availability. There are no known exploits in the wild as of the publication date. The root cause is insufficient validation of input parameters in the article publishing API, allowing unauthorized content injection. This can lead to misinformation, reputational damage, and potential downstream attacks if malicious content is published. The vulnerability does not require authentication or user interaction, making it easier to exploit remotely over the internet. The scope is limited to affected versions prior to 1.2. Organizations using these versions should upgrade immediately to mitigate the risk.

For European organizations operating The-Scratch-Channel platform or using the vulnerable tsc-web-client versions, this vulnerability poses significant risks. Attackers can publish unauthorized articles, potentially spreading misinformation, fake news, or malicious content that could damage brand reputation and erode user trust. News websites are often targeted for influence operations or disinformation campaigns, especially in politically sensitive environments. The ability to post articles with arbitrary dates and categories could be exploited to manipulate public perception or disrupt information integrity. Additionally, malicious content could be used to deliver malware or phishing links to readers, increasing the risk of secondary attacks. Since the vulnerability requires no authentication and can be exploited remotely, it broadens the attack surface. European organizations in media, government, or critical infrastructure sectors relying on this platform are particularly at risk. The impact extends beyond confidentiality and availability to primarily affect data integrity and trustworthiness of published content, which is critical for news outlets. Failure to patch could lead to regulatory scrutiny under GDPR if user data or trust is compromised indirectly through misinformation or fraud. Overall, the threat could undermine information security and public confidence in affected European entities.

1. Immediate upgrade: Organizations should upgrade the tsc-web-client to version 1.2 or later, where the vulnerability is patched. 2. Input validation: Implement strict server-side validation of all input parameters related to article publishing, including category and publication date, ensuring only authorized users can publish and only valid categories/dates are accepted. 3. Authentication and authorization: Enforce robust authentication mechanisms and role-based access controls on all publishing endpoints to prevent unauthorized access. 4. Monitoring and logging: Enable detailed logging of publishing activities and monitor for anomalous article creation patterns, such as articles published by unknown users or with suspicious dates/categories. 5. Web application firewall (WAF): Deploy a WAF with rules to detect and block suspicious POST requests targeting the article publishing endpoint. 6. Incident response: Prepare to respond to potential misuse by having processes to quickly remove unauthorized articles and communicate transparently with users. 7. Security testing: Conduct regular security assessments and code reviews focusing on input validation and access control for web client components. 8. User awareness: Train content managers and administrators to recognize signs of content tampering or unauthorized publications.