CVE-2025-59949
📋 TL;DR
FreshRSS versions before 1.27.1 have a cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the logout functionality that can be exploited via <track src> elements. This allows attackers to force logged-in users to log out unexpectedly, causing denial of service by disrupting their RSS feed access. All users running vulnerable FreshRSS instances are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- FreshRSS
📦 What is this software?
Freshrss by Freshrss
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Attackers could force all users of a FreshRSS instance to log out simultaneously, disrupting RSS feed access and requiring manual re-authentication for all users.
Likely Case
Targeted users experience unexpected logout, requiring them to log back in to access their RSS feeds, causing temporary service disruption.
If Mitigated
With proper CSRF protections or patched versions, logout requests require proper authentication tokens, preventing unauthorized logout attempts.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires the attacker to trick an authenticated user into visiting a malicious page containing the <track src> element targeting the logout endpoint.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 1.27.1
Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/FreshRSS/FreshRSS/security/advisories/GHSA-w7f5-8vf9-f966
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Backup your FreshRSS installation and database. 2. Update FreshRSS to version 1.27.1 or later via git pull or manual download. 3. Clear browser cache if experiencing issues.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Implement CSRF tokens manually
allAdd CSRF protection to logout endpoint if unable to patch immediately
Requires code modification - not recommended as temporary workaround
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to block suspicious logout requests
- Monitor for unusual logout patterns and alert on mass logout events
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check FreshRSS version in admin interface or by examining the source code version fileCheck Version:
Check /data/config.php for version or view admin panel version informationVerify Fix Applied:
Confirm version is 1.27.1 or later in admin interface or version file📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Multiple logout events from same IP in short timeframe
- Logout requests without corresponding authentication events
Network Indicators:
- HTTP POST requests to logout endpoint without proper referrer headers
- Requests containing <track src> elements targeting logout URL
SIEM Query:
source="freshrss.log" AND (event="logout" AND count() > 10 within 5min)