CVE-2025-65270
📋 TL;DR
This is a reflected cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in ClinCapture EDC clinical trial software that allows unauthenticated attackers to inject malicious JavaScript into web pages. When victims click specially crafted links, the attacker can execute arbitrary code in their browser sessions. Organizations using ClinCapture EDC versions 3.0 and 2.2.3 are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- ClinCapture EDC
📦 What is this software?
Captivate Electronic Data Capture by Clincapture
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Attackers steal session cookies, perform actions as authenticated users, redirect to phishing sites, or install malware through the victim's browser.
Likely Case
Session hijacking leading to unauthorized access to clinical trial data, patient information exposure, or manipulation of study records.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper input validation and output encoding, though some risk remains if users click malicious links.
🎯 Exploit Status
Proof-of-concept code is publicly available on GitHub. Exploitation requires social engineering to trick users into clicking malicious links.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Unknown
Vendor Advisory: https://www.clincapture.com/
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Monitor ClinCapture vendor website for security updates. 2. Apply patches when available. 3. Test in non-production environment first.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Web Application Firewall (WAF) Rules
allImplement WAF rules to block XSS payloads in URL parameters
# Configure WAF to filter malicious script tags and JavaScript in URLs
# Example: Block patterns containing <script>, javascript:, and eval()
Input Validation Filter
allAdd server-side input validation for all URL parameters
# Implement strict whitelist validation for URL parameters
# Example in Python: re.match(r'^[a-zA-Z0-9_-]+$', param)
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to restrict script execution
- Educate users about phishing risks and suspicious links
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Test by injecting XSS payloads into URL parameters and checking if they execute in browserCheck Version:
Check ClinCapture EDC version in web interface or configuration filesVerify Fix Applied:
Verify that injected scripts are properly sanitized and do not execute📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual long URLs with script tags
- Multiple failed parameter validation attempts
- Suspicious referrer headers
Network Indicators:
- HTTP requests with JavaScript in query parameters
- Unusual outbound connections after clicking internal links
SIEM Query:
source="web_logs" AND (url="*<script>*" OR url="*javascript:*" OR url="*onerror=*" OR url="*onload=*")