FileRise Stored XSS: Unsafe Uploads Expose Web File Managers to JavaScript Execution (CVE-2025-68116)

Overview

A critical security vulnerability, identified as CVE-2025-68116 Details, has been discovered in FileRise, a popular self-hosted web file manager and WebDAV server. This flaw, rated with a high CVSS score of 8.9, stems from a Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability. Versions of FileRise prior to 2.7.1 are susceptible to this attack due to inadequate handling of user-uploaded, browser-renderable content, specifically SVG and HTML files. An attacker capable of uploading a specially crafted file to a FileRise instance can trigger arbitrary JavaScript execution in a victim’s browser when they access a generated share link or, in certain scenarios, directly download the malicious file. This vulnerability poses a significant risk to the integrity and confidentiality of data managed by affected FileRise instances.

Technical Details

The core of CVE-2025-68116 lies in FileRise’s failure to safely process and serve specific types of user-uploaded files. The vulnerability manifests when an attacker uploads a malicious file, primarily a crafted SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) file, or secondarily, an HTML file. These files contain embedded JavaScript payloads designed to execute within the context of the victim’s browser. FileRise’s sharing and download endpoints, specifically /api/file/share.php and /api/file/download.php, are implicated in this attack vector.

When a victim clicks on a share link generated for the malicious file, or attempts to directly download it, the FileRise server serves the content without sufficient sanitization or appropriate HTTP headers (such as Content-Type or Content-Disposition) to prevent browser interpretation as executable code. Modern web browsers, particularly when encountering an SVG file with embedded scripts or a raw HTML file, will render the content and execute any contained JavaScript if the server’s headers do not explicitly instruct otherwise (e.g., by forcing a download using Content-Disposition: attachment, or setting a restrictive Content-Type). This allows the attacker’s JavaScript to run within the security context of the FileRise domain.

The impact of successful XSS exploitation is severe. An attacker can:

• Session Hijacking: Steal authenticated user sessions, gaining unauthorized access to the victim’s FileRise account.
• Credential Theft: Phish for login credentials or other sensitive information by manipulating the page content.
• Defacement: Alter the appearance of the FileRise interface seen by the victim.
• Redirection: Redirect victims to malicious external websites.
• Further Client-Side Attacks: Initiate additional attacks against the victim’s browser or network from the compromised context.
• Data Exfiltration: Access and exfiltrate files or metadata that the victim has permission to view.

The attack complexity is relatively low once an attacker gains file upload capabilities, which is a fundamental feature of a file manager. The ‘self-hosted’ nature of FileRise means that compromised instances could lead to significant internal data breaches or compromise of user accounts, especially if the instance is exposed to the internet or used by multiple internal teams.

Affected Systems

This Stored XSS vulnerability impacts all installations of FileRise acting as a self-hosted web file manager or WebDAV server in versions prior to 2.7.1. Organizations and individuals utilizing these older versions are at immediate risk. Administrators must identify their FileRise version to determine their exposure.

Remediation

Addressing CVE-2025-68116 requires immediate action to protect FileRise installations and their users. Apply the following remediation steps:

1. Upgrade Immediately: The most critical step is to upgrade your FileRise instance to version 2.7.1 or later. This version contains the necessary fixes to properly handle user-uploaded content and prevent XSS exploitation.
2. Implement Robust Content-Type Handling: Ensure that your web server configuration for FileRise explicitly sets appropriate Content-Type and Content-Disposition headers for all user-uploaded files served through download or sharing endpoints. Files that are not intended for browser rendering (e.g., binaries, archives, or potentially malicious SVGs/HTML) should be served with Content-Disposition: attachment to force a download rather than in-browser display.
3. Enhanced Input Validation and Sanitization: While the update should address the primary issue, adopt a defense-in-depth strategy. Implement server-side validation and sanitization for all uploaded files. If SVG or HTML uploads are strictly necessary, employ robust sanitization libraries (e.g., DOMPurify for HTML, or specific SVG sanitizers) to strip out potentially malicious scripts and attributes.
4. Content Security Policy (CSP): Deploy a strict Content Security Policy (CSP) on your FileRise instance. A well-configured CSP can significantly mitigate the impact of XSS attacks by restricting the sources from which scripts, styles, and other resources can be loaded and executed.
5. Restrict File Upload Capabilities: Re-evaluate the necessity of allowing all file types to be uploaded. Restrict uploads to only those file types absolutely essential for your FileRise deployment’s functionality.
6. Monitor for Suspicious Activity: Regularly monitor FileRise access logs for unusual upload patterns, excessive share link generation, or anomalous user behavior that might indicate an attempted or successful exploitation.
7. User Training: Educate users about the risks of clicking on suspicious links, even if they appear to originate from trusted sources.

Proactive security measures and prompt patching are essential to safeguard self-hosted file management systems from such critical vulnerabilities.

References

• Ref: View Full CVE-2025-68116 Report at TheHackerWire