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TI-2024-18803 Aliases CVE-2024-28244GHSA-cvr6-37gx-v8wc

KaTeX's maxExpand bypassed by Unicode sub/superscripts

Priority LOW 33CWE-674Published · Updated

Key facts

Attack vector
Network
Privileges required
Low
User interaction
None
Attack complexity
Low
Impact type
Denial of service
Confidentiality · integrity · availability
None · None · High
Fix status
Fixed

Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and GitHub. Impact type from CWE-674.

Summary

KaTeX is a JavaScript library for TeX math rendering on the web. KaTeX users who render untrusted mathematical expressions could encounter malicious input using `\def` or `\newcommand` that causes a near-infinite loop, despite setting `maxExpand` to avoid such loops. KaTeX supports an option named maxExpand which aims to prevent infinitely recursive macros from consuming all available memory and/or triggering a stack overflow error. Unfortunately, support for "Unicode (sub|super)script characters" allows an attacker to bypass this limit. Each sub/superscript group instantiated a separate Parser with its own limit on macro executions, without inheriting the current count of macro executions from its parent. This has been corrected in KaTeX v0.16.10.

Why it matters now

Exploitation None reported CISA SSVC · not in CISA KEV
EPSS 0.02155 82nd percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix Fixed KaTeX (KaTeX): 0.16.10katex (npm): 0.16.10

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

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed inStatusSource
KaTeXKaTeX0.15.4 to before 0.16.100.16.10Patch availableCNA
—katex (npm)0.15.4 to before 0.16.100.16.10Patch availableGHSA-cvr6-37gx-v8wc
  • KaTeX VendorKaTeX Affected 0.15.4 to before 0.16.10 Fixed in 0.16.10 Patch available CNA
  • katex (npm) Vendor— Affected 0.15.4 to before 0.16.10 Fixed in 0.16.10 Patch available GHSA-cvr6-37gx-v8wc

CPE configurations NVD · 1

CPEVersionsRoleVendor
cpe:2.3:a:katex:katex:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*0.15.4 to before 0.16.10VulnerableKaTeX
  • cpe:2.3:a:katex:katex:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 0.15.4 to before 0.16.10 Vulnerable ·KaTeX

Remediation

  • Fix · CNA KaTeX (KaTeX) Fixed in 0.16.10
  • Fix · GHSA-cvr6-37gx-v8wc katex (npm) Fixed in 0.16.10 Advisory →

Vendor assessments

Red Hat

Red Hat's page for this CVE →

Not affected: 1 product
  • Red Hat

Timeline

  1. 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2024-28244
  2. 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-cvr6-37gx-v8wc

References

Patch 1

Advisory 2

Other 1

  • TI-2025-16992 \htmlData does not validate attribute names in KaTeX CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.2
  • TI-2024-18802 KaTeX's maxExpand bypassed by \edef CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 6.5
  • TI-2024-18804 KaTeX's \includegraphics does not escape filename CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 6.3
  • TI-2024-18805 KaTeX is missing normalization of the protocol in URLs allows bypassing forbidden protocols CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 5.5

Sources

This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences