XSS in Joplin Project
CVE-2023-39517
Joplin is a free, open source note taking and to-do application. A Cross site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in affected versions allows clicking on an untrusted image link to execute arbitrary shell commands. The HTML sanitizer (`packages/renderer/htmlUtils.ts::sanitizeHtml`) preserves `<map>` `<area>` links. However, unlike `<a>` links, the `target` and `href` attributes are not removed. Additionally, because the note preview pane isn't sandboxed to prevent top navigation, links with `target` set to `_top` can replace the toplevel electron page. Because any toplevel electron page, with Joplin's setup, has access to `require` and can require node libraries, a malicious replacement toplevel page can import `child_process` and execute arbitrary shell commands. This issue has been fixed in commit 7c52c3e9a81a52ef1b42a951f9deb9d378d59b0f which is included in release version 2.12.8. Users are advised to upgrade. There are no known workarounds for this vulnerability.
Vulnerability class: XSS (Cross-Site Scripting)
EPSS: 0.005 (40.2th percentile) — read the EPSS interpretation.
CVSS v3 metric
CVSS v3 base score 8.2 (High). Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:L/A:L.
Affected products
- Joplin_project Joplin
- Laurent22 Joplin — versions < 2.12.8
Weakness classification (CWE)
References
- security-advisories@github.com (x_refsource_CONFIRM, Exploit, Vendor Advisory)
- security-advisories@github.com (Patch, x_refsource_MISC)
- security-advisories@github.com (x_refsource_MISC, Not Applicable)
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2023-39517?
- CVE-2023-39517 is a high-severity vulnerability in Joplin Project, classified under Cross-site Scripting. CVSS score: 8.2/10. Published 2024-06-21.
- How severe is CVE-2023-39517?
- High severity. CVSS v3 base score is 8.2 out of 10.