CVE-2025-8129

In the latest version of Koa, the back method used for redirect operations adopts an insecure implementation, which uses the user-controllable referrer header as the redirect target.

Details

on the API document https://www.koajs.net/api/response#responseredirecturl-alt, we can see:

response.redirect(url, [alt])

Performs a [302] redirect to url.
The string "back" is specially provided for Referrer support, using alt or "/" when Referrer does not exist.

ctx.redirect('back');
ctx.redirect('back', '/index.html');
ctx.redirect('/login');
ctx.redirect('http://google.com');

however, the "back" method is insecure:

• https://github.com/koajs/koa/blob/master/lib/response.js#L322

  back (alt) {
    const url = this.ctx.get('Referrer') || alt || '/'
    this.redirect(url)
  },

Referrer Header is User-Controlled.

PoC

there is a demo for POC:

const Koa = require('koa')
const serve = require('koa-static')
const Router = require('@koa/router')
const path = require('path')

const app = new Koa()
const router = new Router()

// Serve static files from the public directory
app.use(serve(path.join(__dirname, 'public')))

// Define routes
router.get('/test', ctx => {
  ctx.redirect('back', '/index1.html')
})

router.get('/test2', ctx => {
  ctx.redirect('back')
})

router.get('/', ctx => {
  ctx.body = 'Welcome to the home page! Try accessing /test, /test2'
})

app.use(router.routes())
app.use(router.allowedMethods())

const port = 3000
app.listen(port, () => {
  console.log(`Server running at http://localhost:${port}`)
}) 

Proof Of Concept

GET /test HTTP/1.1
Host: 127.0.0.1:3000
Referer: http://www.baidu.com
Connection: close


GET /test2 HTTP/1.1
Host: 127.0.0.1:3000
Referer: http://www.baidu.com
Connection: close

https://learn.snyk.io/lesson/open-redirect/

Untrusted input controls a URL used for redirection, which can forward users to attacker-controlled sites. Typical impact: phishing and credential harvesting via a trusted domain.

CVE-2025-8129 has a CVSS score of 3.5 (Low). The vector is network-reachable, low privileges required, and user interaction required. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (2.16.2, 3.0.1); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.

Kodem intelligence

1. What is CVE-2025-8129? CVE-2025-8129 is a low-severity open redirect vulnerability in koa (npm), affecting versions >= 2.0.0, < 2.16.2. It is fixed in 2.16.2, 3.0.1. Untrusted input controls a URL used for redirection, which can forward users to attacker-controlled sites.
2. How severe is CVE-2025-8129? CVE-2025-8129 has a CVSS score of 3.5 (Low). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
3. Which versions of koa are affected by CVE-2025-8129? koa (npm) versions >= 2.0.0, < 2.16.2 is affected.
4. Is there a fix for CVE-2025-8129? Yes. CVE-2025-8129 is fixed in 2.16.2, 3.0.1. Upgrade to this version or later.
5. Is CVE-2025-8129 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2025-8129 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
6. What actually determines whether CVE-2025-8129 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
7. How do I fix CVE-2025-8129?
   • Upgrade koa to 2.16.2 or later
   • Upgrade koa to 3.0.1 or later

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