Critical Cross-site scripting exploit reference

CVE-2025-65026 — esm.sh CDN service has JS Template Literal Injection in CSS-to-JavaScript

esm.sh is a nobuild content delivery network(CDN) for modern web development. Prior to version 136, The esm.sh CDN service contains a Template Literal Injection vulnerability (CWE-94) in its CSS-to-JavaScript module conversion feature. When a CSS file is requested with the ?module query parameter, esm.sh converts it to a JavaScript module by embedding the CSS content directly into a template literal without proper sanitization. An attacker can inject malicious JavaScript code using ${...} expressions within CSS files, which will execute when the module is imported by victim applications. This enables Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) in browsers and Remote Code Execution (RCE) in Electron applications. This issue has been patched in version 136.

Published Nov 19, 2025 · Updated Oct 13, 2026 · Sources: NIST National Vulnerability Database, CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP · CNA: GitHub_M

Low

Who exploits it and how urgent it is

A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.

No exploitation signal in the sources consulted so far.

How the score was calculated

EPSS 0.5% (30-day exploitation probability)+6
Technical severity (critical)+10
CISA SSVC: exploitation "poc"+5

The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).

Triage

Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.

Exploitation

Not confirmed

Not in CISA KEV — an absence of record, not proof it is unexploited.

EPSS FIRST

0.48%

ahead of 40% of scored CVEs · Oct 14, 2026

Affects

Esm

Esm.sh

CVSS base

9.6

Critical · 3 source(s)

CISA SSVC assessment CISA

Three decision points CISA publishes for the CVEs it assesses (SSVC 2.0.3). A stakeholder decision, not a severity score.

Exploitation

Proof of concept

none · proof-of-concept · active

Automatable

can an attacker script the kill-chain steps

Technical impact

Partial

partial · total control of the vulnerable component

Remediation

Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.

Documented patch — github.com (NIST National Vulnerability Database)

First 24 hours

Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.

Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Esm Esm.sh, Esm-dev Esm.sh).
The attack is network-based and needs no privileges: restrict exposure (ACLs, VPN, WAF) until patched.
Apply the fixed version or the patch documented under Remediation.
Exploitation requires user interaction: tighten email/web filtering and warn affected users.
Search available logs for exploit probes matching the vulnerability class (cross-site scripting), errors and authentication anomalies.

Affected scope

Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.

Vendor	Product	Versions	Status	Source
Esm	Esm.sh	< 136	Vulnerable	NIST National Vulnerability Database
Esm-dev	Esm.sh	version < 136	Vulnerable	CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP

Attack characteristics

The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.

Attack vector

Network

Attack complexity

Low

Privileges required

None

User interaction

Required

Scope

Changed

Confidentiality

High

Integrity

High

Availability

High

Every base score collected

Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.

Score	Version	Severity	Expl.	Impact	Scored by
9.6	CVSS 3.1	Critical	2.8	6.0	nvd@nist.gov via NIST National Vulnerability Database
6.1	CVSS 3.1	Medium	2.8	2.7	security-advisories@github.com via NIST National Vulnerability Database
6.1	CVSS 3.1	Medium	—	—	GitHub_M via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H (score shown at the top: nvd@nist.gov)

Scoring entities (NIST, CNA, ADP) score independently; each score is shown with its origin. For prioritization we use 9.6 (NVD (NIST)) as a conservative provisional reference — not a definitive official score.

Weakness MITRE

Weakness class according to MITRE’s CWE catalog.

CWE-79 · Cross-site Scripting (XSS)

Other CVEs with this weakness →

EPSS over time FIRST

Oct 13, 2026 → Oct 14, 2026 · 2 reading(s) · max 0.48%

Detection

Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.

Prioritize edge telemetry for the network-reachable component (proxy, WAF, IDS/IPS).
Monitor CSP violation reports and script payloads in reflected parameters.

web/proxy/WAF logsnetwork IDS/IPSapplication logs

Timeline

What happened to this CVE, newest first.

2026
Affected products added · esm-dev/esm.sh
Oct 13, 2026 · CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
SSVC assessment updated
Oct 13, 2026 · CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
Record published
Oct 13, 2026
Fix documented
Oct 13, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
CVSS changed · 9.6
Oct 13, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
Source status changed · → Analyzed
Oct 13, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
Record created in this database
Oct 13, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
2025
CVE published
Nov 19, 2025 · GitHub_M

Source activity

Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.

1× Official description updated · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026

References

2 on the record

github.com/esm-dev/esm.sh/security/advisories/GHSA-hcpf-qv9m-vfgp
Exploit, Vendor Advisory, x_refsource_CONFIRM, NIST National Vulnerability Database
github.com/esm-dev/esm.sh/commit/87d2f6497574bf4448641a5527a3ac2beba5fd6c
Patch, x_refsource_MISC, NIST National Vulnerability Database

Elsewhere on this site

Esm
every CVE for this vendor

Cross-site scripting
same class

CWE-79
other pages naming this weakness

Related CVEs (same products)

High CVE-2026-44594 esm.sh: Path Traversal via package.json browser field allows reading arbitrary server files May 28, 2026
High CVE-2026-44593 esm.sh: Legacy Route Path Traversal Can Lead to RCE May 28, 2026
High CVE-2026-27730 esm.sh has SSRF localhost/private-network bypass in `/http(s)` module route Feb 25, 2026
High CVE-2025-50180 esm.sh is vulnerable to full-response SSRF Feb 25, 2026
High CVE-2026-23644 esm.sh has path traversal in `extractPackageTarball` that enables file writes from malicious packages Jan 18, 2026
Critical CVE-2025-65025 esm.sh CDN service has arbitrary file write via tarslip Nov 19, 2025

Not in any source we poll

Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.

No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.

Answered from this record

Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.

What should defenders know first?

CVE-2025-65026 is "esm.sh CDN service has JS Template Literal Injection in CSS-to-JavaScript", rated Critical. It affects Esm.sh (Esm); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 9.6 describes technical severity. EPSS 0.48% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.

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