CVE-2025-68929 Overview
CVE-2025-68929 is a critical Server-Side Template Injection (SSTI) vulnerability affecting the Frappe full-stack web application framework. An authenticated user with specific permissions could be tricked into accessing a specially crafted link, leading to malicious template execution on the server and resulting in remote code execution.
Critical Impact
This vulnerability enables remote code execution through server-side template injection, allowing attackers to execute arbitrary code on the server with the privileges of the web application process.
Affected Products
- Frappe Framework versions prior to 14.99.6
- Frappe Framework versions prior to 15.88.1
- Applications built on vulnerable Frappe Framework versions (including ERPNext)
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-12-29 - CVE-2025-68929 published to NVD
- 2025-12-31 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-68929
Vulnerability Analysis
This vulnerability is classified as CWE-1336 (Improper Neutralization of Special Elements Used in a Template Engine). The Frappe framework's template rendering functionality fails to properly sanitize user-controlled input before processing it through the template engine. When an authenticated user with appropriate permissions is induced to access a maliciously crafted link, the attacker-controlled template code is executed server-side.
The attack requires user interaction (clicking a crafted link) and the victim must have specific permissions within the Frappe application. However, successful exploitation grants the attacker full remote code execution capabilities, potentially compromising the entire server and any data accessible to the application. The scope is changed (S:C), meaning successful exploitation can affect resources beyond the vulnerable component's security scope.
Root Cause
The root cause stems from improper neutralization of special elements in template input processing. The Frappe framework's Jinja2 template engine does not adequately sanitize or restrict user-supplied input that flows into template rendering contexts. This allows attackers to inject template directives that are then executed by the server-side template engine.
Attack Vector
The attack vector involves social engineering combined with technical exploitation:
- Crafted Link Creation: The attacker constructs a URL containing malicious template injection payload
- Social Engineering: The victim (an authenticated Frappe user with specific permissions) is tricked into clicking the crafted link
- Template Processing: The server processes the malicious input through the template engine without proper sanitization
- Code Execution: The injected template code executes on the server with the application's privileges
The vulnerability is network-accessible, requires low attack complexity, but necessitates low-privilege authentication and user interaction. The potential for complete system compromise through server-side code execution makes this a critical security issue.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-68929
Indicators of Compromise
- Unusual HTTP requests containing Jinja2 template syntax such as {{, {%, or __class__ in URL parameters or request bodies
- Server logs showing unexpected subprocess spawns or shell command executions originating from the Frappe web process
- Unexpected outbound network connections from the Frappe application server
- Presence of unfamiliar files in the application directory or temporary directories
Detection Strategies
- Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block template injection patterns in HTTP requests
- Monitor application logs for template rendering errors or unusual template processing activity
- Deploy endpoint detection solutions to identify suspicious process execution chains originating from web server processes
- Review access logs for requests containing encoded or obfuscated template injection payloads
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable verbose logging for the Frappe application's template rendering subsystem
- Configure alerts for any shell command execution or subprocess creation from web application contexts
- Monitor for anomalous authenticated user behavior, particularly users accessing unusual URLs
- Implement network monitoring for unexpected egress traffic from application servers
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-68929
Immediate Actions Required
- Upgrade Frappe Framework to version 14.99.6 or later for the 14.x branch
- Upgrade Frappe Framework to version 15.88.1 or later for the 15.x branch
- Review access logs for evidence of exploitation attempts targeting template rendering endpoints
- Audit user permissions to ensure principle of least privilege is enforced
Patch Information
Frappe has released security patches addressing this vulnerability in versions 14.99.6 and 15.88.1. Organizations should prioritize upgrading to these patched versions immediately given the critical severity rating and remote code execution impact.
For detailed patch information, refer to:
Workarounds
- No official workarounds are available according to the vendor advisory
- Consider implementing network-level restrictions to limit access to the Frappe application while awaiting patching
- Deploy additional WAF rules to filter potential template injection payloads as a temporary defense-in-depth measure
- Restrict user permissions to minimize the pool of potential victims who could trigger the vulnerability
# Upgrade Frappe Framework to patched version
# For version 14.x branch:
bench update --apps frappe --reset
bench switch-to-branch version-14 frappe
bench update
# For version 15.x branch:
bench update --apps frappe --reset
bench switch-to-branch version-15 frappe
bench update
# Verify installed version
bench version
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
