VulnerabilityPublished 29 Jun 2025Updated 30 Jun 2025

CVE-2025-6849: code-projects Simple Forum · Cross-site Scripting

Affects code-projects Simple ForumSource CVE Database V5

Public exploit available · CVSS 5.1 Medium.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 14:05 UTC

CVSS 4.0 base score

5.1Medium

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 0.3% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 26% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.

CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:P/VC:N/VI:L/VA:N/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:P

Base metrics

Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: Low
Attack Requirements: None
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: Passive
Vulnerable system confidentiality: None
Vulnerable system integrity: Low
Vulnerable system availability: None
Subsequent system confidentiality: None
Subsequent system integrity: None
Subsequent system availability: None

Threat metrics

Exploit Maturity: POC

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Network: The vulnerable system is bound to the network stack and the set of possible attackers extends beyond the other options listed below, up to and including the entire Internet. Such a vulnerability is often termed “remotely exploitable” and can be thought of as an attack being exploitable at the protocol level one or more network hops away (e.g., across one or more routers).
Attack Complexity: Low: The attacker must take no measurable action to exploit the vulnerability. The attack requires no target-specific circumvention to exploit the vulnerability. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable system.
Attack Requirements: None: The successful attack does not depend on the deployment and execution conditions of the vulnerable system. The attacker can expect to be able to reach the vulnerability and execute the exploit under all or most instances of the vulnerability.
Privileges Required: Low: The attacker requires privileges that provide basic capabilities that are typically limited to settings and resources owned by a single low-privileged user. Alternatively, an attacker with Low privileges has the ability to access only non-sensitive resources.
User Interaction: Passive: Successful exploitation of this vulnerability requires limited interaction by the targeted user with the vulnerable system and the attacker’s payload. These interactions would be considered involuntary and do not require that the user actively subvert protections built into the vulnerable system.
Vulnerable system confidentiality: None: There is no loss of confidentiality within the Vulnerable System.
Vulnerable system integrity: Low: Modification of data is possible, but the attacker does not have control over the consequence of a modification, or the amount of modification is limited. The data modification does not have a direct, serious impact to the Vulnerable System.
Vulnerable system availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the Vulnerable System.
Subsequent system confidentiality: None: There is no loss of confidentiality within the Subsequent System or all confidentiality impact is constrained to the Vulnerable System.
Subsequent system integrity: None: There is no loss of integrity within the Subsequent System or all integrity impact is constrained to the Vulnerable System.
Subsequent system availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the Subsequent System or all availability impact is constrained to the Vulnerable System.
Exploit Maturity: POC: Based on threat intelligence sources each of the following must apply: · Proof-of-concept is publicly available · No knowledge of reported attempts to exploit this vulnerability · No knowledge of publicly available solutions used to simplify attempts to exploit the vulnerability

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v4.0 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 29 Jun 2025
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: evidence found.
CVSS exploit maturity: proof of concept public
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), CVSS vector, the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC or the CVSS exploit maturity reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
code-projects Simple Forum	Affected =1.0	Fixed in–

AI-suggested

Organizations should immediately review and sanitize all user inputs, especially the 'text' parameter in /forum_edit1.php, employing robust server-side input validation and output encoding to prevent script injection. Implement Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict the execution of unauthorized scripts in browsers. Educate forum users about the risks of clicking unknown links or interacting with suspicious content. Monitor forum activity for unusual posts or behavior indicative of exploitation attempts. Regularly update the forum software once patches are released and apply security best practices for web applications, including the use of web application firewalls (WAFs) configured to detect and block XSS payloads. Conduct security testing and code reviews to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities proactively.

Description

A vulnerability, which was classified as problematic, was found in code-projects Simple Forum 1.0. Affected is an unknown function of the file /forum_edit1.php. The manipulation of the argument text leads to cross site scripting. It is possible to launch the attack remotely. The exploit has been disclosed to the public and may be used.

Impact

For European organizations using code-projects Simple Forum 1.0, this vulnerability poses a moderate risk. Exploitation could lead to theft of user credentials, session tokens, or other sensitive information, undermining user trust and potentially exposing personal data protected under GDPR. The integrity of forum content could be compromised, damaging organizational reputation and user confidence. Since the vulnerability requires user interaction, the impact depends on user behavior and awareness. However, forums often serve as communication hubs for communities or organizations, so successful attacks could facilitate further social engineering or malware distribution campaigns targeting European users. Additionally, organizations may face regulatory scrutiny if user data is compromised due to inadequate security controls. The medium severity suggests that while the threat is not critical, it should be addressed promptly to prevent escalation or chaining with other vulnerabilities.

Summary

CVE-2025-6849 is a cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability identified in version 1.0 of code-projects Simple Forum, specifically within an unspecified function in the /forum_edit1.php file. The vulnerability arises from improper sanitization or validation of the 'text' argument, allowing an attacker to inject malicious scripts. This flaw can be exploited remotely without requiring authentication, although user interaction is necessary to trigger the malicious payload (e.g., a victim clicking a crafted link or viewing a manipulated forum post). The CVSS 4.0 base score is 5.1, indicating a medium severity level. The attack vector is network-based with low attack complexity and no privileges required, but user interaction is needed. The vulnerability impacts the confidentiality and integrity of user sessions by potentially enabling session hijacking, credential theft, or defacement of forum content. There is no evidence of known exploits in the wild yet, and no official patches have been published at the time of disclosure. The vulnerability is publicly disclosed, increasing the risk of exploitation by opportunistic attackers. Given the nature of XSS, the threat primarily targets end users of the forum, but successful exploitation can also lead to broader impacts such as spreading malware or phishing campaigns within the forum community.

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 30 Jun 2025, 16:09 UTC

Technical details

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