CVE-2025-53481
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability in the MediaWiki IPInfo extension allows attackers to cause excessive resource consumption through uncontrolled allocation. It affects MediaWiki installations using vulnerable versions of the IPInfo extension, potentially leading to denial of service conditions.
💻 Affected Systems
- Wikimedia Foundation MediaWiki - IPInfo Extension
⚠️ Manual Verification Required
This CVE does not have specific version information in our database, so automatic vulnerability detection cannot determine if your system is affected.
Why? The CVE database entry doesn't specify which versions are vulnerable (no version ranges provided by the vendor/NVD).
🔒 Custom verification scripts are available for registered users. Sign up free to download automated test scripts.
- Review the CVE details at NVD
- Check vendor security advisories for your specific version
- Test if the vulnerability is exploitable in your environment
- Consider updating to the latest version as a precaution
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete denial of service for MediaWiki instance due to resource exhaustion, making the wiki unavailable to legitimate users.
Likely Case
Degraded performance or intermittent service disruptions affecting wiki functionality.
If Mitigated
Minimal impact with proper resource limits and monitoring in place.
🎯 Exploit Status
CWE-400 vulnerabilities typically require minimal technical skill to exploit for denial of service.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: IPInfo Extension 1.39.13, 1.42.7, or 1.43.2
Vendor Advisory: https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T392976
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Update MediaWiki IPInfo extension to version 1.39.13, 1.42.7, or 1.43.2 depending on your MediaWiki version. 2. Apply via extension manager or manual update. 3. Clear any caches if applicable.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable IPInfo Extension
allTemporarily disable the vulnerable extension until patching is possible
Remove or comment out 'wfLoadExtension( 'IPInfo' );' from LocalSettings.php
Implement Resource Limits
allConfigure web server and PHP resource limits to mitigate impact
Set PHP memory_limit and max_execution_time in php.ini
Configure web server connection and request limits
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict rate limiting and request throttling
- Monitor resource usage and set up alerts for abnormal consumption patterns
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check IPInfo extension version in MediaWiki extension manager or by examining extension filesCheck Version:
Check MediaWiki's Special:Version page or examine extension.json file in IPInfo extension directoryVerify Fix Applied:
Confirm IPInfo extension version is 1.39.13, 1.42.7, or 1.43.2 or higher📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusually high memory or CPU usage patterns
- Multiple failed requests from same IPs
- Error logs showing resource exhaustion
Network Indicators:
- Abnormal request patterns to IPInfo endpoints
- Increased response times
SIEM Query:
source="mediawiki" AND ("memory_limit" OR "out of memory" OR "resource exhaustion")