CVE-2025-68461: RoundCube Webmail Cross-site Scripting Vulnerability

This vulnerability is a cross-site scripting issue in Roundcube Webmail. An attacker can supply an SVG document containing an animate tag that causes the application to execute attacker-controlled script in a victim's browser session. The flaw matters for organizations that run Roundcube because email clients are frequent targets for session hijacking and credential theft. Any user who views a malicious message or attachment could have their account actions performed without their knowledge.

How it works

The weakness is classified as CWE-79, improper neutralization of input during web page generation. In this case the application fails to sanitize the animate element inside an SVG document before rendering it in the browser. An attacker can therefore cause script to run in the context of the Roundcube origin, bypassing the same-origin policy for that session.

Technical readers should treat this as a stored or reflected XSS vector that originates from message content or attachment handling. No further exploit mechanics are provided in the available summary.

Am I affected? How to find it in your systems

• Inventory all Roundcube Webmail installations on web servers or containers that serve email interfaces.
• Compare the deployed version and configuration against the vendor advisory to determine whether the SVG handling path is present.
• Review web-server and application logs for requests that include SVG content with animate elements reaching the Roundcube endpoint; such entries can indicate attempted exploitation.
• When the product is offered as a cloud service, confirm whether the provider has applied the relevant mitigations required by BOD 22-01.

How to remediate

• Apply the vendor-supplied update referenced in the official advisory; this is the primary remediation step.
• After patching, review any additional hardening steps listed by the vendor for input validation around SVG and HTML content.
• Re-test the mail interface to confirm that animate tags in SVG documents are now neutralized before rendering.

If you can't patch immediately

• Apply mitigations exactly as stated in the vendor instructions.
• For cloud-hosted instances, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance.
• If mitigations cannot be implemented, discontinue use of the affected Roundcube deployment until an update can be applied.
• Network segmentation that restricts direct browser access to the webmail origin from untrusted networks can reduce the attack surface while a fix is prepared.
• Monitor for anomalous script execution or unexpected session activity in Roundcube logs as a temporary detection measure.

If your data may have been exposed

Actively exploited cross-site scripting vulnerabilities have led to account takeovers and subsequent data exposure. Organizations can run a free exposure scan of their domains against known breach data to identify any already-compromised accounts.