CVE-2025-59018 is a high-severity vulnerability affecting multiple versions of TYPO3 CMS, specifically versions 9.0.0 through 13.4.17. The vulnerability arises from missing authorization checks within the Workspace Module of TYPO3 CMS. This flaw allows backend users with limited privileges to directly invoke an AJAX backend route that discloses sensitive information without proper access rights. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-200, which pertains to the exposure of sensitive information to unauthorized actors. The CVSS 4.0 base score is 7.1, indicating a high severity level. The vector details (AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:N/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N) reveal that the attack can be performed remotely over the network without user interaction or authentication, requiring only low privileges (PR:L). The vulnerability impacts confidentiality significantly (VC:H), but does not affect integrity or availability. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches or mitigation links were provided at the time of publication. TYPO3 CMS is a widely used open-source content management system, particularly popular among European organizations, including government, education, and enterprise sectors. The Workspace Module is used for content staging and review workflows, meaning that sensitive draft content or internal data could be exposed through this flaw. The lack of authorization checks means that even backend users with limited roles could access information beyond their privileges, potentially leading to data leakage of unpublished content, internal notes, or configuration details. This vulnerability could be exploited by malicious insiders or attackers who have gained limited backend access, escalating the impact of their access by extracting sensitive information without further authentication barriers.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2025-59018 is significant due to TYPO3 CMS's strong presence in public sector institutions, universities, and medium to large enterprises across Europe. Exposure of sensitive information could lead to data breaches involving unpublished content, internal communications, or configuration data, which may contain personal data protected under GDPR. Such breaches could result in regulatory penalties, reputational damage, and loss of trust. Additionally, leaked internal information could aid attackers in planning further attacks or social engineering campaigns. Since the vulnerability requires only low-privilege backend access, attackers who compromise a low-level user account could escalate their information access without detection. This is particularly concerning for organizations with complex editorial workflows relying on the Workspace Module. The absence of known exploits in the wild provides a window for proactive mitigation, but the high severity and ease of exploitation necessitate urgent attention. Organizations operating TYPO3 CMS in critical infrastructure sectors or handling sensitive personal or governmental data are at heightened risk.

1. Immediate patching: Organizations should monitor TYPO3 CMS vendor announcements closely and apply security patches as soon as they become available. Given no patch links were provided at publication, contacting TYPO3 support or community channels for interim fixes or workarounds is advisable. 2. Access control review: Restrict backend user privileges strictly to the minimum necessary. Audit user roles and permissions to ensure that only trusted users have backend access, especially to the Workspace Module. 3. Network segmentation: Limit backend access to trusted networks or VPNs to reduce exposure to unauthorized actors. 4. Monitoring and logging: Enable detailed logging of backend AJAX route accesses and monitor for unusual or unauthorized access patterns to detect exploitation attempts early. 5. Temporary disabling: If feasible, temporarily disable or restrict the Workspace Module’s AJAX backend routes until patches are applied. 6. Incident response preparedness: Prepare to respond to potential data leakage incidents by having data breach notification procedures and forensic capabilities in place. 7. User education: Train backend users on security best practices and the importance of safeguarding their credentials to prevent account compromise.