# CVE-2025-53533: Pi-hole Admin Interface vulnerable to cross-site scripting via malformed URL path on 404 error page

> Attackers can execute arbitrary JavaScript in victims' browsers via reflected XSS in the Pi-hole Admin Interface 404 error page.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.1 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:A/VC:N/VI:N/VA:N/SC:L/SI:L/SA:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 27 Oct 2025
- **Updated:** 27 Oct 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-w8f8-92rx-4f6w

## What is CVE-2025-53533?

CVE-2025-53533 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in pi-hole web, published on 27 Oct 2025. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

Pi-hole Admin Interface is a web interface for managing Pi-hole, a network-level advertisement and internet tracker blocking application. Pi-hole Admin Interface versions 6.2.1 and earlier are vulnerable to reflected cross-site scripting (XSS) via a malformed URL path. The 404 error page includes the requested path in the class attribute of the body tag without proper sanitization or escaping. An attacker can craft a URL containing an onload attribute that will execute arbitrary JavaScript code in the browser when a victim visits the malicious link. If an attacker sends a crafted pi-hole link to a victim and the victim visits it, attacker-controlled JavaScript code is executed in the browser of the victim. This has been patched in version 6.3.

Weakness: CWE-79 (Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-53533?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Pi-Hole Web Interface.

## How do I fix CVE-2025-53533?

No fix has been published for CVE-2025-53533 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2025-53533 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2025-53533 exists.

Public exploit code:

- Cross-Site-Scripting XSS in Pi-hole-CVE-2025-53533 exploit (PoC) (github_poc): https://github.com/moezbouzayani9/Pi-hole-XSS-CVE-2025-53533
- Pi-hole Reflected XSS in 404-Error Page (nuclei): http/cves/2025/CVE-2025-53533.yaml

## Other vulnerabilities in pi-hole web

- [CVE-2026-33765](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-33765/): Pi-hole Web Interface has a Command Injection Vulnerability (high 8.9)
- [CVE-2023-23614](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-23614/): Improper session handling of "Remember me for 7 days" functionality (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2025-59151](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-59151/): Pi-hole Admin Interface vulnerable to HTTP response header injection via CRLF injection (high 8.2)
- [CVE-2021-3706](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-3706/): Sensitive Cookie Without 'HttpOnly' Flag in pi-hole/adminlte (high 7.4)
- [CVE-2021-41175](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-41175/): Stored XSS in Client Groups Management (Authenticated) (high 7.3)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-53533 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-53533 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in pi-hole web, published on 27 Oct 2025. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2025-53533 exists.

Affected product: pi-hole web. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-53533/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-53533/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-53533
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-53533
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-53533

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-53533/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.