CVE-2025-70296 identifies a stored HTML injection vulnerability in the Recipe Notes rendering component of Mealie 3.3.1, an open-source self-hosted recipe management application. The flaw allows remote authenticated users to inject arbitrary HTML content into the recipe notes, which is then rendered without proper sanitization or escaping. This results in user interface redressing, where the injected HTML can alter the appearance or behavior of the recipe view, potentially misleading users or enabling further attacks such as phishing or session hijacking. The vulnerability requires the attacker to have valid credentials (remote authenticated access) but does not require additional user interaction to trigger the injected content. The CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.4 reflects a medium severity level, with an attack vector of network (remote), low attack complexity, privileges required (low), no user interaction, and impacts on confidentiality and integrity but not availability. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-77, indicating improper neutralization of special elements used in a command or query, specifically HTML in this case. No patches or known exploits are currently documented, but the risk remains for organizations running the affected version of Mealie. The vulnerability could be exploited to manipulate the user interface, potentially tricking users into performing unintended actions or exposing sensitive information indirectly.

The primary impact of CVE-2025-70296 is on the integrity and confidentiality of the user interface within Mealie's recipe view. By injecting arbitrary HTML, an attacker can alter the UI to mislead users, potentially facilitating phishing attacks, credential theft, or unauthorized actions if combined with other vulnerabilities. Although availability is not affected, the trustworthiness of the application interface is compromised, which can erode user confidence and lead to indirect security breaches. Organizations relying on Mealie 3.3.1 for recipe management, especially in environments where multiple users have authenticated access, face risks of internal misuse or targeted attacks by malicious insiders or compromised accounts. The requirement for authentication limits the attack surface but does not eliminate risk, as attackers often gain credentials through phishing or other means. The absence of known exploits in the wild reduces immediate urgency but does not preclude future exploitation. Overall, the vulnerability poses a moderate risk to organizations, particularly those with sensitive or critical data managed via Mealie or integrated systems.

To mitigate CVE-2025-70296, organizations should first upgrade Mealie to a version where this vulnerability is patched once available. In the absence of an official patch, administrators should implement strict input validation and sanitization on the Recipe Notes component to neutralize HTML special characters and prevent injection. Employing Content Security Policy (CSP) headers can help restrict the execution of injected scripts or malicious HTML. Restricting user privileges to the minimum necessary reduces the risk of exploitation by limiting who can inject content. Monitoring and logging changes to recipe notes can help detect suspicious activity. Additionally, educating users about phishing and credential security reduces the likelihood of attackers obtaining authenticated access. Network segmentation and multi-factor authentication (MFA) for accessing Mealie instances further harden the environment. Finally, organizations should stay informed about updates from Mealie developers and apply patches promptly when released.