CVE-2025-59288: Playwright Playwright Downloads And Installs Browsers Vulnerability

{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-7mvr-c777-76hp",
  "modified" : "2025-10-24T20:05:47Z",
  "published" : "2025-10-14T18:30:36Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2025-59288" ],
  "summary" : "Playwright downloads and installs browsers without verifying the authenticity of the SSL certificate",
  "details" : "### Summary\nUse of `curl` with the `-k` (or `--insecure`) flag in installer scripts allows attackers to deliver arbitrary executables via Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) attacks. This can lead to full system compromise, as the downloaded files are installed as privileged applications.\n\n### Details\nThe following scripts in the `microsoft/playwright` repository at commit [`bee11cbc28f24bd18e726163d0b9b1571b4f26a8`](https://github.com/microsoft/playwright/commit/bee11cbc28f24bd18e726163d0b9b1571b4f26a8) use `curl -k` to fetch and install executable packages without verifying the authenticity of the SSL certificate:\n\n\n- [`packages/playwright-core/bin/reinstall_chrome_beta_mac.sh`](https://github.com/microsoft/playwright/blob/bee11cbc28f24bd18e726163d0b9b1571b4f26a8/packages/playwright-core/bin/reinstall_chrome_beta_mac.sh)\n- [`packages/playwright-core/bin/reinstall_chrome_stable_mac.sh`](https://github.com/microsoft/playwright/blob/bee11cbc28f24bd18e726163d0b9b1571b4f26a8/packages/playwright-core/bin/reinstall_chrome_stable_mac.sh)\n- [`packages/playwright-core/bin/reinstall_msedge_dev_mac.sh`](https://github.com/microsoft/playwright/blob/bee11cbc28f24bd18e726163d0b9b1571b4f26a8/packages/playwright-core/bin/reinstall_msedge_dev_mac.sh)\n- [`packages/playwright-core/bin/reinstall_msedge_beta_mac.sh`](https://github.com/microsoft/playwright/blob/bee11cbc28f24bd18e726163d0b9b1571b4f26a8/packages/playwright-core/bin/reinstall_msedge_beta_mac.sh)\n- [`packages/playwright-core/bin/reinstall_msedge_stable_mac.sh`](https://github.com/microsoft/playwright/blob/bee11cbc28f24bd18e726163d0b9b1571b4f26a8/packages/playwright-core/bin/reinstall_msedge_stable_mac.sh)\n\nIn each case, the shell scripts download a browser installer package using `curl -k` and immediately install it:\n\n```shell\ncurl --retry 3 -o ./<pkg-file> -k <url>\nsudo installer -pkg /tmp/<pkg-file> -target /\n```\n\nDisabling SSL verification (`-k`) means the download can be intercepted and replaced with malicious content.\n\n### PoC\nA high-level exploitation scenario:\n\n1. An attacker performs a MitM attack on a network where the victim runs one of these scripts.\n2. The attacker intercepts the HTTPS request and serves a malicious package (for example, a trojaned browser installer).\n3. Because `curl -k` is used, the script downloads and installs the attacker's payload without any certificate validation.\n4. The attacker's code is executed with system privileges, leading to full compromise.\n\nNo special configuration is needed: simply running these scripts on any untrusted or hostile network is enough.\n\n### Impact\nThis is a critical Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerability due to improper SSL certificate validation (CWE-295: Improper Certificate Validation). Any user or automation running these scripts is at risk of arbitrary code execution as root/admin, system compromise, data theft, or persistent malware installation. The risk is especially severe because browser packages are installed with elevated privileges and the scripts may be used in CI/CD or developer environments.\n\n### Fix\n\n - https://github.com/microsoft/playwright/commit/72c62d840247d9defd87c6beb0344d456794b570\n - https://github.com/microsoft/playwright/pull/37532\n - https://github.com/microsoft/playwright/releases/tag/v1.56.0\n\n### Credit\n\n- This vulnerability was uncovered by tooling by [Socket](https://socket.dev/)\n- This vulnerability was confirmed by @evilpacket\n- This vulnerability was reported by @JLLeitschuh at Socket\n\n### Disclosure\n - September 10th, 2025 - Disclosed to Microsoft privately via https://github.com/microsoft/playwright/security/advisories/GHSA-gx27-2j22-qcx8\n - September 11th, 2025 - Reported to Microsoft via MSRC Researcher Portal - https://msrc.microsoft.com/report/vulnerability/VULN-162854\n - September 11th, 2025 - Microsoft closed report as \"Complete - N/A\"\n - September 18th, 2025 - Following a [LinkedIn Post](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jonathan-leitschuh_its-a-sad-state-of-the-world-when-i-acknowledge-activity-7374601182117511168--wnI?utm_source=social_share_send&utm_medium=member_desktop_web&rcm=ACoAAA0SLMUBScBUspIv0-LQ1ecAwsqt5l81eG4)",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V4",
    "score" : "CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:H/AT:P/PR:H/UI:A/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:H/SI:H/SA:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "npm",
      "name" : "playwright"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "1.55.1"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/SocketDev/security-research/security/advisories/GHSA-qxm8-4v54-964r"
  }, {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-59288"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/microsoft/playwright/pull/37532"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/microsoft/playwright/commit/72c62d840247d9defd87c6beb0344d456794b570"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/microsoft/playwright"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/microsoft/playwright/releases/tag/v1.55.1"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/microsoft/playwright/releases/tag/v1.56.0"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2025-59288"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-347" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2025-10-20T14:19:32Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2025-10-14T17:16:11Z"
  }
}