CVE-2025-68669: 5ire Desktop AI Assistant RCE Vulnerability

CVE-2025-68669 Overview

CVE-2025-68669 is a Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerability affecting 5ire, a cross-platform desktop artificial intelligence assistant and model context protocol client. The vulnerability exists in the useMarkdown.ts file where the markdown-it-mermaid plugin is initialized with an insecure securityLevel: 'loose' configuration. This setting explicitly permits the rendering of HTML tags within Mermaid diagram nodes, enabling attackers to inject and execute malicious code through crafted Mermaid diagrams.

Critical Impact

Attackers can achieve remote code execution on systems running vulnerable versions of 5ire by injecting malicious HTML content through Mermaid diagram nodes, potentially leading to complete system compromise.

Affected Products

• 5ire versions 0.15.2 and prior
• All platforms running vulnerable 5ire desktop application versions
• Systems utilizing the markdown-it-mermaid plugin with loose security configuration

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-12-23 - CVE CVE-2025-68669 published to NVD
• 2026-02-06 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-68669

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability stems from an insecure configuration choice in the 5ire application's markdown rendering implementation. The application uses the markdown-it-mermaid plugin to render Mermaid diagrams within markdown content. However, the plugin is configured with securityLevel: 'loose', which disables security restrictions that would otherwise prevent arbitrary HTML execution within diagram elements.

When Mermaid operates in loose security mode, HTML tags embedded within diagram node definitions are rendered and executed in the context of the application. Since 5ire is a desktop application built with Electron or similar frameworks, this creates a pathway from web content rendering directly to the underlying system, enabling remote code execution.

The attack can be triggered when a user views malicious content containing specially crafted Mermaid diagrams, such as AI-generated responses or imported markdown files that include embedded HTML payloads within diagram syntax.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is the explicit use of securityLevel: 'loose' when initializing the markdown-it-mermaid plugin in the useMarkdown.ts hook at line 156. This configuration bypasses Mermaid's built-in XSS protections that are designed to sanitize and escape HTML content within diagram definitions.

The Mermaid library provides different security levels specifically to prevent this type of attack. The 'strict' mode (default in newer versions) sanitizes all HTML content, while 'loose' mode trusts all content, making it unsuitable for rendering untrusted input.

Attack Vector

The attack requires network access and user interaction, as indicated by the attack vector classification. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability by:

1. Crafting a malicious Mermaid diagram containing embedded HTML and JavaScript payloads
2. Delivering this payload through any channel that 5ire processes, such as AI model responses, shared conversations, or imported markdown content
3. When the victim views the malicious content, the embedded HTML executes within the application context
4. Due to the desktop application's elevated privileges compared to a sandboxed browser, this execution can lead to arbitrary code execution on the host system

The vulnerability has a "Changed" scope rating, meaning successful exploitation affects resources beyond the vulnerable component itself, potentially compromising the entire host system.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-68669

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected HTML tags or JavaScript code within Mermaid diagram blocks in conversation logs or markdown files
• Anomalous process spawning from the 5ire application process
• Unusual network connections originating from the 5ire application
• Modification of system files or registry entries by the 5ire process

Detection Strategies

• Monitor for Mermaid diagram syntax containing HTML tags such as <script>, <iframe>, <object>, or event handlers like onclick
• Implement file integrity monitoring on 5ire application files and configuration
• Deploy endpoint detection rules for suspicious child process creation from Electron-based applications
• Analyze imported markdown files and AI responses for embedded malicious payloads

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable verbose logging for the 5ire application to capture rendered content
• Monitor application sandbox escapes and privilege elevation attempts
• Track network connections initiated by the 5ire process to detect command and control communications
• Implement content security policies at the application level where possible

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-68669

Immediate Actions Required

• Avoid processing untrusted markdown content or AI responses in 5ire versions 0.15.2 and prior
• Restrict 5ire application network access to trusted AI service endpoints only
• Consider temporarily disabling Mermaid diagram rendering if possible
• Monitor the 5ire security advisories for patch availability

Patch Information

As of the publication date, this vulnerability has not been patched. The vendor has acknowledged the issue through a GitHub Security Advisory. Organizations should monitor the 5ire repository for future releases that address this vulnerability. A related commit has been made to the repository that may contain relevant updates.

Workarounds

• Restrict usage of 5ire to trusted internal environments until a patch is available
• Implement network-level controls to block potentially malicious content delivery
• If source code access is available, modify useMarkdown.ts to set securityLevel: 'strict' instead of 'loose'
• Use application firewalls to monitor and block suspicious content patterns in AI responses

// Recommended configuration change for useMarkdown.ts
// Change securityLevel from 'loose' to 'strict' to enable HTML sanitization
mermaid.initialize({
  securityLevel: 'strict',
  // other configuration options
});