CVE-2025-23061Public exploitNetwork attack vector

Database JavaScript execution via nested $where filter

Published Jan 15, 2025 · Updated Jan 15, 2025

Search injection in Mongoose before 6.13.6, 7.0.0 through 7.8.3, or 8.0.0 through 8.9.4 allows remote attackers to run database JavaScript. The populate() match guard checks only top-level $where keys, allowing a nested $where under $or or $and to reach MongoDB's JavaScript evaluator. Exploitation requires an application to pass attacker-controlled match data to populate(); successful queries can read or manipulate database data.

CVSS severity9.0
Critical
EPSS probability7.28%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Search injection in Mongoose before 6.13.6, 7.0.0 through 7.8.3, or 8.0.0 through 8.9.4 allows remote attackers to run database JavaScript. The populate() match guard checks only top-level $where keys, allowing a nested $where under $or or $and to reach MongoDB's JavaScript evaluator. Exploitation requires an application to pass attacker-controlled match data to populate(); successful queries can read or manipulate database data.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-23061
Published
Jan 15, 2025
Updated
Jan 15, 2025
Vendor
Automattic
Product
Mongoose
Classifications
CWE-94, T1190
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jan 15, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Jan 15, 2025Record 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.

  1. Affected versionversion=6.0.0 <6.13.6
  2. Affected versionversion=7.0.0 <7.8.4
  3. Affected versionversion=8.0.0 <8.9.5

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

Automattic · Mongooseversion=6.0.0 <6.13.6; version=7.0.0 <7.8.4; version=8.0.0 <8.9.5

Published CVSS scores

9.0MITRECVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
9.8NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-94Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection')
T1190Exploit Public-Facing Application

Public exploit references

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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