ckeditor4 plugins vulnerable to cross-site scripting caused by the editor instance destroying process
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Cross-site scripting
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- Low · Low · None
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · NVD. Fix status from CNA. Impact type from CWE-79.
Summary
CKEditor4 is an open source what-you-see-is-what-you-get HTML editor. A cross-site scripting vulnerability has been discovered affecting Iframe Dialog and Media Embed packages. The vulnerability may trigger a JavaScript code after fulfilling special conditions: using one of the affected packages on a web page with missing proper Content Security Policy configuration; initializing the editor on an element and using an element other than `<textarea>` as a base; and destroying the editor instance. This vulnerability might affect a small percentage of integrators that depend on dynamic editor initialization/destroy mechanism. A fix is available in CKEditor4 version 4.21.0. In some rare cases, a security fix may be considered a breaking change. Starting from version 4.21.0, the Iframe Dialog plugin applies the `sandbox` attribute by default, which restricts JavaScript code execution in the iframe element. To change this behavior, configure the `config.iframe_attributes` option. Also starting from version 4.21.0, the Media Embed plugin regenerates the entire content of the embed widget by default. To change this behavior, configure the `config.embed_keepOriginalContent` option. Those who choose to enable either of the more permissive options or who cannot upgrade to a patched version should properly configure Content Security Policy to avoid any potential security issues that may arise from embedding iframe elements on their web page.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Partial
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ckeditor | ckeditor4 | before 4.21.0 | 4.21.0 | Patch available | CNA |
- ckeditor4 Vendorckeditor Affected before 4.21.0 Fixed in 4.21.0 Patch available CNA
CPE configurations NVD · 4
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:a:ckeditor:ckeditor:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 4.0 to before 4.21.0 | Vulnerable | ckeditor |
| cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:37:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 37 | Vulnerable | Fedoraproject |
| cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:38:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 38 | Vulnerable | Fedoraproject |
| cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:39:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 39 | Vulnerable | Fedoraproject |
- cpe:2.3:a:ckeditor:ckeditor:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 4.0 to before 4.21.0 Vulnerable ·ckeditor
- cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:37:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 37 Vulnerable ·Fedoraproject
- cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:38:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 38 Vulnerable ·Fedoraproject
- cpe:2.3:o:fedoraproject:fedora:39:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 39 Vulnerable ·Fedoraproject
Remediation
- Fix · CNA ckeditor4 (ckeditor) Fixed in 4.21.0
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2023-28439
References
Advisory 3
More Ckeditor vulnerabilities
- TI-2023-15111 A unrestricted file upload vulnerability was discovered in the ‘Browse and upload images’… CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2021-18004 HTML comments vulnerability allowing to execute JavaScript code CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.2
- TI-2022-08543 Regular expression Denial of Service in dialog plugin CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.5
- TI-2021-18003 Advanced Content Filter (ACF) vulnerability allowing to execute JavaScript code using malformed HTML CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.2
- TI-2021-12473 Cross-site scripting in ckeditor via abuse of undo functionality CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.6
- TI-2011-04280 Information disclosure in CKSource CKEditor Drupal module CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.5
Sources
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences