CVE-2025-70038: Linagora Twake RCE Vulnerability

CVE-2025-70038 Overview

CVE-2025-70038 is a Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability discovered in Linagora Twake v2023.Q1.1223, an open-source collaborative workspace platform. The vulnerability stems from improper neutralization of input during web page generation (CWE-79), allowing attackers to execute arbitrary code in the context of a victim's browser session. This type of vulnerability can be exploited to steal user credentials, hijack sessions, or perform actions on behalf of authenticated users.

Critical Impact

This XSS vulnerability allows attackers to execute arbitrary code in the browser context of Twake users, potentially compromising user sessions and sensitive collaboration data.

Affected Products

• Linagora Twake v2023.Q1.1223
• Twake collaborative workspace platform (affected versions)

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-03-09 - CVE-2025-70038 published to NVD
• 2026-03-11 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-70038

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation, commonly known as Cross-Site Scripting (XSS). The flaw exists in Linagora Twake's web application layer where user-supplied input is not properly sanitized before being rendered in the browser. When malicious scripts are injected into the application, they execute within the security context of the affected user's session.

The vulnerability requires user interaction to trigger, as victims must visit a page or click a link containing the malicious payload. Once executed, the injected code operates with full access to the user's session, including the ability to read sensitive data, modify content, and perform actions as the authenticated user.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2025-70038 lies in insufficient input validation and output encoding within the Twake application. User-controlled data is incorporated into web pages without adequate sanitization, allowing specially crafted payloads to break out of data contexts and execute as code. This indicates a failure to implement proper contextual output encoding for HTML, JavaScript, or other rendering contexts.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based and requires the attacker to craft a malicious URL or inject content that includes JavaScript code. When a legitimate user interacts with this malicious content within the Twake platform, the script executes in their browser context. The attacker can leverage this to:

1. Steal session cookies and authentication tokens
2. Perform actions on behalf of the victim user
3. Modify displayed content to conduct phishing attacks
4. Exfiltrate sensitive collaboration data from the workspace

For technical details about this vulnerability, refer to the GitHub Gist Overview which contains additional information about the XSS flaw.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-70038

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual JavaScript execution patterns in Twake application logs
• Unexpected outbound requests to external domains from user browsers
• Reports from users about suspicious redirects or popup dialogs within the Twake interface
• Web application firewall (WAF) alerts for XSS patterns targeting Twake endpoints

Detection Strategies

• Deploy web application firewall rules to detect common XSS payloads in requests to Twake endpoints
• Implement Content Security Policy (CSP) headers and monitor for policy violations that may indicate injection attempts
• Enable browser console logging and monitor for JavaScript errors associated with injection attacks
• Review access logs for URLs containing encoded script tags or JavaScript event handlers

Monitoring Recommendations

• Configure real-time alerting for WAF XSS signature matches against Twake application traffic
• Monitor CSP violation reports to identify potential exploitation attempts
• Implement user behavior analytics to detect anomalous session activity following suspected XSS exploitation
• Review Twake application audit logs for unauthorized actions that may result from session hijacking

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-70038

Immediate Actions Required

• Upgrade Linagora Twake to a patched version that addresses this XSS vulnerability
• Implement strict Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution to trusted sources
• Deploy or update web application firewall rules to block common XSS attack patterns
• Educate users about the risks of clicking suspicious links within collaboration platforms

Patch Information

Organizations using Linagora Twake should check the Twake GitHub Repository for updated releases that address this vulnerability. Monitor the Linagora GitHub Profile for security advisories and patch announcements related to CVE-2025-70038.

Workarounds

• Implement Content Security Policy headers with strict script-src directives to prevent inline script execution
• Enable HTTP-only and Secure flags on all session cookies to limit the impact of XSS-based session theft
• Use a reverse proxy or WAF to filter potentially malicious input before it reaches the Twake application
• Consider isolating the Twake deployment in a separate browser context or sandboxed environment until patches can be applied

# Example CSP header configuration for Apache
# Add to your Twake virtual host configuration
Header set Content-Security-Policy "default-src 'self'; script-src 'self'; object-src 'none'; frame-ancestors 'self';"
Header set X-XSS-Protection "1; mode=block"
Header set X-Content-Type-Options "nosniff"