CVE-2025-60796 identifies multiple cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities in phpPgAdmin, a popular web-based administration tool for PostgreSQL databases. The affected versions include 7.13.0 and earlier. The root cause is the failure to properly sanitize or encode user input obtained from the $_REQUEST superglobal before reflecting it in HTML output across several PHP scripts, including sequences.php, indexes.php, and admin.php. This improper handling allows attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code that executes in the context of authenticated users' browsers. Such XSS attacks can be leveraged to hijack user sessions, steal credentials, or perform unauthorized actions on behalf of the user. Although no CVSS score has been assigned and no active exploits have been reported, the vulnerabilities pose a significant risk due to the widespread use of phpPgAdmin in managing PostgreSQL databases. The lack of patches or fixes at the time of publication necessitates immediate attention to input validation and output encoding. The vulnerabilities do not require complex exploitation steps or elevated privileges beyond access to the phpPgAdmin interface, increasing their risk profile. The threat is particularly relevant for environments where phpPgAdmin is exposed to untrusted networks or users, including internal networks with multiple users or externally accessible management consoles.

For European organizations, the exploitation of these XSS vulnerabilities could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive database management sessions, resulting in potential data breaches or manipulation of database configurations. Session hijacking could allow attackers to impersonate legitimate administrators, leading to further compromise of PostgreSQL databases. This could affect confidentiality and integrity of critical business data, disrupt operations, and damage organizational reputation. Organizations relying on phpPgAdmin for database administration, especially those with web-facing management portals or insufficient network segmentation, are at elevated risk. The impact is amplified in sectors with stringent data protection regulations such as finance, healthcare, and government, where data breaches could result in severe regulatory penalties under GDPR. Additionally, the absence of known exploits currently provides a window for proactive mitigation, but also means organizations must act swiftly before attackers develop and deploy exploit code.

Organizations should immediately audit their phpPgAdmin deployments to identify exposed instances. Access to phpPgAdmin should be restricted using network segmentation, VPNs, or IP whitelisting to limit exposure to trusted users only. Implement web application firewalls (WAFs) with rules to detect and block XSS payloads targeting phpPgAdmin endpoints. Until official patches are released, consider disabling or removing phpPgAdmin from production environments or replacing it with alternative database management tools with better security postures. Developers and administrators should review and harden input validation and output encoding mechanisms, ensuring all user-supplied data is properly sanitized before rendering in HTML contexts. Regularly monitor security advisories for updates and apply patches promptly once available. Additionally, educate users about the risks of XSS and encourage the use of strong authentication mechanisms such as multi-factor authentication to reduce the impact of session hijacking.