# CVE-2025-61656: XSS when pasting into VE

> Cross-site scripting vulnerability in VisualEditor allows attackers to execute arbitrary scripts via pasted content, affecting MediaWiki installations.

- **Severity:** Not scored
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 3 Feb 2026
- **Updated:** 3 Feb 2026
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2025-61656, GHSA-5499-9jhv-ccm9, UBUNTU-CVE-2025-61656

## What is CVE-2025-61656?

CVE-2025-61656 is a cross-site scripting vulnerability in Wikimedia Foundation VisualEditor, published on 3 Feb 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation (XSS or 'Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability in Wikimedia Foundation VisualEditor. This vulnerability is associated with program files src/ce/ve.Ce.ClipboardHandler.Js.

This issue affects VisualEditor: from * before 1.39.14, 1.43.4, 1.44.1.

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

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-61656?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Mediawiki Visual Editor.

## How do I fix CVE-2025-61656?

Upgrade to a fixed version.

## Is CVE-2025-61656 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-61656 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Wikimedia Foundation VisualEditor

- [CVE-2019-19708](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-19708/): Cross-site scripting in n/a (medium 6.1)
- [CVE-2025-61655](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-61655/): Stored XSS through system messages in VisualEditor (not scored)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-61656 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-61656 is a cross-site scripting vulnerability in Wikimedia Foundation VisualEditor, published on 3 Feb 2026. 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-2025-61656 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Wikimedia Foundation VisualEditor. 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-2025-61656/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-61656/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-61656
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-61656
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-61656

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-61656/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.