CVE-2025-59416 is a high-severity vulnerability classified under CWE-862 (Missing Authorization) affecting the tsc-web-client component of The-Scratch-Channel, a news website platform. The vulnerability exists in versions prior to 1.2 of the tsc-web-client. The core issue arises because the API endpoint responsible for creating articles via POST requests does not properly enforce authorization checks. Specifically, when a user forks content, they can manipulate the admin privileges and subsequently create articles without proper permission validation. This missing authorization allows a user with limited privileges (low privilege) to escalate their rights and perform administrative actions such as publishing articles, which should be restricted. The vulnerability has a CVSS 4.0 base score of 7.2, indicating a high severity level. The vector details reveal that the attack can be performed remotely over the network (AV:N) with low attack complexity (AC:L), requiring partial authentication (AT:P) and low privileges (PR:L), but no user interaction (UI:N). The vulnerability impacts confidentiality and availability highly (VC:H, VA:H), but not integrity (VI:N). The scope is unchanged (SI:N), and the vulnerability requires high security privileges (SA:H). The issue was fixed in version 1.2 of the tsc-web-client. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild. This vulnerability could allow unauthorized users to publish unauthorized content, potentially leading to misinformation, reputational damage, and disruption of the news platform's availability and trustworthiness.

For European organizations using The-Scratch-Channel platform with vulnerable versions of tsc-web-client, this vulnerability poses significant risks. Unauthorized article creation by low-privilege users could lead to the dissemination of false or malicious information, undermining the integrity and trust of news outlets. This can have broad societal impacts, especially in countries with high reliance on digital news media. Additionally, attackers could disrupt service availability by flooding the platform with unauthorized content, causing operational disruptions. The confidentiality impact is also notable, as unauthorized access to administrative functions may expose sensitive editorial workflows or unpublished content. Given the critical role of media in democratic societies, exploitation could have cascading effects on public opinion and information security. Organizations may face regulatory scrutiny under GDPR if personal data is exposed or if misinformation leads to harm. The lack of known exploits suggests a window for proactive mitigation before widespread attacks occur.

Organizations should immediately upgrade the tsc-web-client to version 1.2 or later, where the authorization checks have been properly implemented. Until the upgrade is applied, it is advisable to restrict access to the article creation API endpoint to trusted administrative users only, using network-level controls such as IP whitelisting or VPN access. Implement additional application-layer authorization checks and logging to detect unauthorized article creation attempts. Conduct thorough audits of user privilege assignments to ensure no unauthorized elevation is possible. Employ web application firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to detect and block suspicious POST requests targeting article creation. Regularly monitor logs for anomalous activity related to admin privilege changes or article submissions. Finally, educate content managers and administrators about the vulnerability and encourage prompt patch management practices.