CVE-2025-64442
📋 TL;DR
HumHub versions below 1.17.4 contain a cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the Meta-Search feature that allows attackers to inject malicious scripts into search previews. When exploited, this can lead to session hijacking, credential theft, or redirection to malicious sites. All HumHub instances running vulnerable versions with the Meta-Search feature enabled are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- HumHub
📦 What is this software?
Humhub by Humhub
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Attackers could steal administrator credentials, take over user accounts, redirect users to phishing sites, or perform actions on behalf of authenticated users.
Likely Case
Attackers inject malicious JavaScript to steal session cookies or credentials from users viewing search results, potentially compromising individual accounts.
If Mitigated
With proper input validation and output encoding, malicious scripts would be rendered harmless as text rather than executed.
🎯 Exploit Status
XSS vulnerabilities typically have low exploitation complexity, requiring only crafted input to trigger.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 1.17.4
Vendor Advisory: https://github.com/humhub/humhub/security/advisories/GHSA-2hgp-33j2-93cc
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Backup your HumHub installation and database. 2. Download version 1.17.4 from the official repository. 3. Replace the existing installation files with the patched version. 4. Clear any caches if applicable.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Meta-Search Feature
allTemporarily disable the vulnerable Meta-Search feature to prevent exploitation.
Navigate to Administration > Modules > Search, and disable Meta-Search if available
Implement WAF Rules
allConfigure web application firewall to block XSS patterns in search parameters.
Add WAF rule: Detect and block script tags and JavaScript events in search query parameters
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict script execution
- Enable input validation and output encoding at the application layer
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check HumHub version in Administration > Information or via command: grep -r 'version' protected/config/common.phpCheck Version:
php protected/yii versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify version is 1.17.4 or higher and test search functionality with XSS payloads like <script>alert('test')</script>📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual search queries containing script tags or JavaScript code
- Multiple failed search attempts with malicious patterns
Network Indicators:
- HTTP requests with script tags in search parameters
- Unusual outbound connections following search activities
SIEM Query:
source="humhub_logs" AND (search_query CONTAINS "<script>" OR search_query CONTAINS "javascript:")