CVE-2025-57785
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedA Double Free in XSLT `show_index` has been identified in Hiawatha webserver version 11.7 which allows an unauthenticated attacker to corrupt data which may lead to arbitrary code execution.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · moderate confidenceA double-free vulnerability exists in the XSLT `show_index` functionality of Hiawatha webserver version 11.7. The vulnerability allows an unauthenticated remote attacker to trigger memory corruption through double-freeing a memory allocation, potentially leading to arbitrary code execution.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data= 11.7CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- Low
- Integrity
- Low
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify Hiawatha versionRun 'hiawatha -v' or check the package manager for installed Hiawatha versionAffected if The installed version is exactly 11.7
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Locate Hiawatha configuration fileFind the main configuration file, typically at /etc/hiawatha/hiawatha.conf or /etc/hiawatha.confAffected if Unable to locate a configuration file indicates default configuration may be in use
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Check if XSLT support is enabledSearch the configuration file for 'XSLT = yes' or similar XSLT enablement directives within a binding sectionAffected if XSLT is enabled in the configuration (XSLT = yes or similar setting present)
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Check if show_index is enabledSearch the configuration file for 'showindex = yes' or similar show_index enablement directives within a binding sectionAffected if show_index is enabled (showindex = yes or similar setting present)
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Verify XSLT and show_index are used togetherConfirm that a single binding section contains both XSLT enablement and show_index enablementAffected if Both XSLT and show_index are enabled within the same binding configuration
The environment is affected if Hiawatha version 11.7 is running with both XSLT and show_index features enabled in the same binding configuration, as this combination triggers the vulnerable code path in the XSLT show_index functionality.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor dataUpgrade to a patched version of Hiawatha if available, or disable the XSLT show_index feature if not needed. Consider implementing web application firewall rules to detect anomalous request patterns targeting this functionality until a fix is applied.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-57785 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2025-57785 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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