Account takeover via unescaped data-source debug output
Published Sep 5, 2023 · Updated Feb 25, 2026
Stored XSS in Cacti before 1.2.25 allows remote authenticated users to execute JavaScript in a privileged user's browser. The data_sources.php debug block prints rrdtool_function_create output containing an attacker-controlled data-source path directly into HTML without escaping. The attacker needs Sites/Devices/Data permission, and a same-or-higher-privileged user must open the debug view, enabling victim-account takeover or actions as that user.
Summary
What happened
Stored XSS in Cacti before 1.2.25 allows remote authenticated users to execute JavaScript in a privileged user's browser. The data_sources.php debug block prints rrdtool_function_create output containing an attacker-controlled data-source path directly into HTML without escaping. The attacker needs Sites/Devices/Data permission, and a same-or-higher-privileged user must open the debug view, enabling victim-account takeover or actions as that user.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2023-39516
- Published
- Sep 5, 2023
- Updated
- Feb 25, 2026
- Vendor
- The Cacti Group
- Product
- Cacti
- Classifications
- CWE-79, T1203
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Sep 5, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Feb 25, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=< 1.2.25
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
- Upstream stored-XSS HTTP proof of conceptproof of concept · demonstrated
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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