# CVE-2025-59039: Prebid Universal Creative on npm briefly compromised

> Attackers injected crypto malware into the Prebid Universal Creative npm package, allowing code execution in applications using the compromised version.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.3 (`CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 9 Sep 2025
- **Updated:** 10 Sep 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-m662-56rj-8fmm

## What is CVE-2025-59039?

CVE-2025-59039 is a critical vulnerability in prebid-universal-creative, published on 9 Sep 2025. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Prebid Universal Creative (PUC) is a JavaScript API to render multiple formats. Npm users of PUC 1.17.3 or PUC latest were briefly affected by crypto-related malware. This includes the extremely popular jsdelivr hosting of this file. The maintainers of PUC unpublished version 1.17.3. Users should see Prebid.js 9 release notes for suggestions on moving off the deprecated workflow of using the PUC or pointing to a dynamic version of it. PUC users pointing to latest should transition to 1.17.2 as soon as possible to avoid similar attacks in the future.

Weakness: CWE-506 (Embedded Malicious Code)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-59039?

2 open source packages ship an affected version, including prebid-universal-creative.


| Package | Ecosystem | Affected | Fixed in |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `prebid-universal-creative` | npm | All versions | None |
| `prebid-universal-creative` | npm | All versions | None |

## How do I fix CVE-2025-59039?

No fix has been published for CVE-2025-59039 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2025-59039 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-59039 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-59039 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-59039 is a critical vulnerability in prebid-universal-creative, published on 9 Sep 2025. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-59039 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected packages and fixed versions:
- prebid-universal-creative (npm): affected all versions; no fix listed
- prebid-universal-creative (npm): affected all versions; no fix listed

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-2025-59039/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-59039/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-59039
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-59039
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-59039

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-59039/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.