The Vite JavaScript frontend tooling framework recently faced a significant security vulnerability, namely CVE-2025-24010, which allowed arbitrary websites to send requests to the Vite's development server and read the response. This security issue arose from the framework's default CORS (Cross-Origin Resource Sharing) settings and insufficient validation of the 'Origin' header on WebSocket connections. Although Vite has patched this vulnerability in versions 6..9, 5.4.12, and 4.5.6, it is crucial to understand the exploit and implement the necessary security measures to prevent its reoccurrence.

Exploit Details

Attackers could take advantage of this vulnerability by inducing a user to visit a malicious website that subsequently sends requests to the Vite's development server. The CORS policy's loopholes would permit these requests, while the lack of proper validation in WebSocket connections would enable attackers to read the server's response. As a consequence, attackers could gain unauthorized access and retrieve sensitive information from the Vite development server.

1. Vite Changelog: https://github.com/vitejs/vite/blob/main/packages/vite/CHANGELOG.md
2. Vite Repository: https://github.com/vitejs/vite

Code Snippet

The following code snippet demonstrates the flawed CORS policy and improper WebSocket handling, which resulted in the vulnerability (CVE-2025-24010):

const ws = new WebSocket('ws://127...1:300');

ws.onmessage = function (event) {
  console.log('Server:', event.data);
};

// Send an arbitrary request to the Vite development server
fetch('http://localhost:300/data';).then(r => r.text()).then(console.log);

To resolve the vulnerability, the Vite development team implemented appropriate changes in the CORS policy and WebSocket handling in the updated versions:

Vite 6..9 https://github.com/vitejs/vite/releases/tag/vite@6..9
Vite 5.4.12 https://github.com/vitejs/vite/releases/tag/vite@5.4.12
Vite 4.5.6 https://github.com/vitejs/vite/releases/tag/vite@4.5.6

Update Vite to the fixed versions (6..9, 5.4.12, or 4.5.6) immediately.

2. Always implement proper CORS policies on your development environment to prevent cross-origin access. Pay close attention to the 'Access-Control-Allow-Origin' header settings.
3. Verify and validate the 'Origin' header in WebSocket connections to avoid unauthorized access and information disclosure.

Conclusion

Vulnerability CVE-2025-24010 in the Vite JavaScript framework exposed the development server to arbitrary requests and information disclosure, stemming from improper CORS settings and insufficient validation of WebSocket connections. By updating the Vite version and employing appropriate security practices, developers can significantly reduce the risk of similar vulnerabilities in the future.

Timeline

Published on: 01/20/2025 16:15:28 UTC