CVE-2025-12999
Open VSX Cache Poisoning via Header Injection
Description
UrlUtil.getBaseUrl builds the absolute URLs in a response — download links, icons, asset and API URLs — from the X-Forwarded-Host, X-Forwarded-Proto and X-Forwarded-Prefix request headers, with no check on whether the sender was a trusted proxy, falling back to the client-supplied Host header. Those responses are cached under keys that do not include the host (extension.json since 0.6.0, namespace.details.json since 0.9.0, sitemap since 0.14.5, latest.extension.version.vscode since 0.34.2). A single request carrying a forged header therefore places attacker-chosen URLs into an entry served to every other client for the lifetime of that entry — one hour by default, and cluster-wide where ovsx.redis.enabled is set. The VSIX download URL, its signature URL and the public key URL are all derived from the same base URL, so extension signing does not limit the impact: an attacker who poisons an entry supplies the package, the signature over it, and the key used to verify it. Exploitability depends on deployment topology. A server reachable directly by clients, or fronted by a proxy that relays the client's X-Forwarded-Host rather than overwriting it, is exploitable by an unauthenticated remote attacker. A proxy that overwrites the header is not. An unauthenticated attacker can poison Open VSX's per-extension metadata cache with attacker-controlled download, signature, and public-key URLs by supplying a crafted X-Forwarded-Host header, causing downstream VS Code-compatible editors to fetch and install a malicious VSIX. Workarounds (unpatched versions) 1. Configure the reverse proxy to set rather than relay X-Forwarded-Host, X-Forwarded-Proto and X-Forwarded-Prefix — note that nginx's $host is the client's Host header and is not a safe value. 2. Ensure the server is not reachable except through that proxy. 3. Flush the caches afterwards; poisoned entries survive the configuration change.
INFO
Published Date :
Sept. 21, 2026, 9:17 a.m.
Last Modified :
Oct. 14, 2026, 1:10 p.m.
Remotely Exploit :
Yes !
Source :
[email protected]
CVSS Scores
| Score | Version | Severity | Vector | Exploitability Score | Impact Score | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS | 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0 | |||||
| CVSS 4.0 | CRITICAL | e51fbebd-6053-4e49-959f-1b94eeb69a2c | ||||
| CVSS 4.0 | CRITICAL | [email protected] |
Solution
- Configure proxy to set X-Forwarded-Host, X-Forwarded-Proto, X-Forwarded-Prefix.
- Ensure server is only reachable via the proxy.
- Flush caches after configuration changes.
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools
Here, you will find a curated list of external links that provide in-depth
information, practical solutions, and valuable tools related to
CVE-2025-12999.
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration
While CVE identifies
specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or
weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2025-12999 is
associated with the following CWEs:
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification
(CAPEC)
stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and
approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2025-12999
weaknesses.
We scan GitHub repositories to detect new proof-of-concept exploits. Following list is a collection of public exploits and proof-of-concepts, which have been published on GitHub (sorted by the most recently updated).
Results are limited to the first 15 repositories due to potential performance issues.
The following list is the news that have been mention
CVE-2025-12999 vulnerability anywhere in the article.
The following table lists the changes that have been made to the
CVE-2025-12999 vulnerability over time.
Vulnerability history details can be useful for understanding the evolution of a vulnerability, and for identifying the most recent changes that may impact the vulnerability's severity, exploitability, or other characteristics.
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CVE Translated by [email protected]
Oct. 14, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added Translation Title: Eclipse Open VSX de Eclipse Foundation, Description: UrlUtil.getBaseUrl construye las URL absolutas en una respuesta - enlaces de descarga, iconos, activos y URL de la API - a partir de los encabezados de solicitud X-Forwarded-Host, X-Forwarded-Proto y X-Forwarded-Prefix, sin verificar si el remitente era un proxy de confianza, recurriendo al encabezado Host proporcionado por el cliente. Esas respuestas se almacenan en caché bajo claves que no incluyen el host (extension.json desde 0.6.0, namespace.details.json desde 0.9.0, sitemap desde 0.14.5, latest.extension.version.vscode desde 0.34.2). Por lo tanto, una única solicitud que contenga un encabezado falsificado coloca URL elegidas por el atacante en una entrada servida a cada otro cliente durante la vida útil de esa entrada - una hora por defecto, y a nivel de clúster donde ovsx.redis.enabled está configurado. La URL de descarga de VSIX, su URL de firma y la URL de clave pública se derivan de la misma URL base, por lo que la firma de la extensión no limita el impacto: un atacante que envenena una entrada proporciona el paquete, la firma del mismo y la clave utilizada para verificarlo. La explotabilidad depende de la topología de despliegue. Un servidor accesible directamente por los clientes, o que está detrás de un proxy que retransmite el X-Forwarded-Host del cliente en lugar de sobrescribirlo, es explotable por un atacante remoto no autenticado. Un proxy que sobrescribe el encabezado no lo es. Un atacante no autenticado puede envenenar la caché de metadatos por extensión de Open VSX con URL de descarga, firma y clave pública controladas por el atacante al proporcionar un encabezado X-Forwarded-Host manipulado, lo que provoca que los editores compatibles con VS Code posteriores obtengan e instalen un VSIX malicioso. Soluciones alternativas (versiones sin parchear) 1. Configure el proxy inverso para que establezca en lugar de retransmitir X-Forwarded-Host, X-Forwarded-Proto y X-Forwarded-Prefix - tenga en cuenta que $host de nginx es el encabezado Host del cliente y no es un valor seguro. 2. Asegúrese de que el servidor no sea accesible excepto a través de ese proxy. 3. Vacíe las cachés después; las entradas envenenadas sobreviven al cambio de configuración. -
CVE Modified by 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0
Sep. 22, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added CWE CWE-345 -
CVE Modified by 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0
Sep. 21, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added Reference https://github.com/eclipse-openvsx/openvsx/security/advisories/GHSA-f55q-5m46-rmxc Added SSVC {'id': 'CVE-2025-12999', 'role': 'CISA Coordinator', 'options': [{'exploitation': 'poc'}, {'automatable': 'no'}, {'technicalImpact': 'partial'}], 'version': '2.0.3', 'timestamp': '2026-09-21T13:52:33.084906Z'} -
New CVE Received by [email protected]
Sep. 21, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added Description UrlUtil.getBaseUrl builds the absolute URLs in a response — download links, icons, asset and API URLs — from the X-Forwarded-Host, X-Forwarded-Proto and X-Forwarded-Prefix request headers, with no check on whether the sender was a trusted proxy, falling back to the client-supplied Host header. Those responses are cached under keys that do not include the host (extension.json since 0.6.0, namespace.details.json since 0.9.0, sitemap since 0.14.5, latest.extension.version.vscode since 0.34.2). A single request carrying a forged header therefore places attacker-chosen URLs into an entry served to every other client for the lifetime of that entry — one hour by default, and cluster-wide where ovsx.redis.enabled is set. The VSIX download URL, its signature URL and the public key URL are all derived from the same base URL, so extension signing does not limit the impact: an attacker who poisons an entry supplies the package, the signature over it, and the key used to verify it. Exploitability depends on deployment topology. A server reachable directly by clients, or fronted by a proxy that relays the client's X-Forwarded-Host rather than overwriting it, is exploitable by an unauthenticated remote attacker. A proxy that overwrites the header is not. An unauthenticated attacker can poison Open VSX's per-extension metadata cache with attacker-controlled download, signature, and public-key URLs by supplying a crafted X-Forwarded-Host header, causing downstream VS Code-compatible editors to fetch and install a malicious VSIX. Workarounds (unpatched versions) 1. Configure the reverse proxy to set rather than relay X-Forwarded-Host, X-Forwarded-Proto and X-Forwarded-Prefix — note that nginx's $host is the client's Host header and is not a safe value. 2. Ensure the server is not reachable except through that proxy. 3. Flush the caches afterwards; poisoned entries survive the configuration change. Added CVSS V4.0 AV:N/AC:L/AT:P/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:H/VA:L/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H/E:X/CR:X/IR:X/AR:X/MAV:X/MAC:X/MAT:X/MPR:X/MUI:X/MVC:X/MVI:X/MVA:X/MSC:X/MSI:X/MSA:X/S:X/AU:X/R:X/V:X/RE:X/U:X Added Affected New affected value received. <a href="https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/blob/main/cves/2025/12xxx/CVE-2025-12999.json">CVE-2025-12999</a> Added Reference https://github.com/eclipse-openvsx/openvsx/pull/2196 Added Reference https://github.com/eclipse-openvsx/openvsx/security/advisories/GHSA-f55q-5m46-rmxc Added Reference https://gitlab.eclipse.org/security/cve-assignment/-/work_items/75