CVE-2025-9035 is a medium-severity reflected Cross-site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability identified in the Virtual Library Platform developed by Horato Internet Technologies Ind. and Trade Inc. This vulnerability arises due to improper neutralization of user input during web page generation, classified under CWE-79. Specifically, the platform fails to adequately sanitize or encode input that is reflected back in HTTP responses, allowing an attacker to inject malicious scripts. When a victim interacts with a crafted URL or input, the malicious script executes in the victim's browser context, potentially leading to session hijacking, phishing, or unauthorized actions performed on behalf of the user. The vulnerability affects versions prior to v202 of the Virtual Library Platform. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 5.4, indicating a medium severity level, with the vector AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:L. This means the attack can be launched remotely over the network without privileges but requires user interaction (such as clicking a malicious link). The impact primarily affects confidentiality (limited data exposure) and availability (minor disruption), with no direct integrity impact. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches are linked yet. The vulnerability was published on September 22, 2025, and assigned by TR-CERT. Given the nature of reflected XSS, exploitation depends on social engineering to lure users into triggering the malicious payload.

For European organizations using the Horato Virtual Library Platform, this vulnerability poses a risk primarily to end users who access the platform via web browsers. Potential impacts include theft of session cookies or tokens, enabling attackers to impersonate legitimate users, which could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive library resources or user accounts. Additionally, attackers could use the platform as a vector for phishing attacks or to deliver malware payloads via injected scripts. Although the direct impact on system integrity is low, the confidentiality breach could expose personal data or intellectual property managed within the platform. Availability impact is limited but could manifest as minor service disruptions if exploited at scale. Given that many European academic institutions and public libraries rely on digital library platforms, the vulnerability could undermine trust and compliance with data protection regulations such as GDPR, especially if personal data leakage occurs. The requirement for user interaction reduces the likelihood of automated widespread exploitation but does not eliminate targeted attacks against high-value users or administrators.

1. Immediate mitigation should include implementing robust input validation and output encoding on all user-supplied data reflected in web pages, using context-appropriate escaping techniques (e.g., HTML entity encoding). 2. Employ Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict the execution of unauthorized scripts and reduce the impact of potential XSS payloads. 3. Educate users to be cautious of unsolicited links and emails that could trigger reflected XSS attacks. 4. Monitor web traffic and logs for suspicious requests that include script tags or unusual parameters. 5. Since no official patch is currently linked, organizations should engage with Horato Internet Technologies for timely updates and consider temporary workarounds such as web application firewalls (WAFs) configured to detect and block reflected XSS patterns targeting the Virtual Library Platform. 6. Conduct regular security assessments and penetration testing focusing on input handling and XSS vectors. 7. Review and update incident response plans to address potential exploitation scenarios involving XSS.