CVE-2025-9440 is a cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability identified in version 1.0 of the 1000projects Online Project Report Submission and Evaluation System. The vulnerability resides in the /admin/add_title.php file, specifically in the handling of the 'Title' parameter. Improper sanitization or validation of this input allows an attacker to inject malicious scripts that execute in the context of the victim's browser. This vulnerability can be exploited remotely without requiring authentication, although it requires user interaction (such as an administrator or user visiting a crafted URL or page). The CVSS 4.0 base score is 5.3, indicating a medium severity level. The attack vector is network-based with low attack complexity and no privileges required. The impact primarily affects the integrity and confidentiality of user sessions, as malicious scripts can steal cookies, session tokens, or perform actions on behalf of the user. Availability impact is minimal. The vulnerability has been publicly disclosed, but no known exploits in the wild have been reported yet. Given the nature of the product—a project report submission and evaluation system—this vulnerability could be leveraged to target academic institutions or organizations using this system for managing project evaluations, potentially leading to session hijacking or defacement of administrative interfaces.

For European organizations, especially educational institutions and research centers that may use the 1000projects system or similar platforms, this vulnerability poses a risk to the confidentiality and integrity of administrative sessions. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to project reports, manipulation of evaluation data, or theft of sensitive academic information. While the direct impact on availability is low, the reputational damage and potential data breaches could have regulatory implications under GDPR, including fines and mandatory breach notifications. Additionally, if attackers leverage this XSS to deploy further attacks such as phishing or malware delivery within the institution's network, the overall security posture could be compromised. The medium severity score reflects the moderate risk, but the ease of exploitation without authentication increases the threat level for organizations with exposed administrative interfaces.

To mitigate this vulnerability, organizations should implement strict input validation and output encoding on the 'Title' parameter within /admin/add_title.php. Employing a whitelist approach for allowed characters and using context-aware encoding (e.g., HTML entity encoding) will prevent script injection. Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) can be configured to detect and block typical XSS payloads targeting this endpoint. Administrators should restrict access to the /admin directory via IP whitelisting or VPN to reduce exposure. Regular security audits and penetration testing focusing on input handling in administrative modules are recommended. Since no official patch is currently available, organizations should consider temporary compensating controls such as disabling the vulnerable functionality if feasible or isolating the affected system from public networks. User awareness training to recognize suspicious URLs or unexpected prompts can also reduce the risk of successful exploitation.