Cross-site scripting in apostrophecms sanitize-html
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- Required
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Cross-site scripting
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- Low · Low · None
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 12 without a fix
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA, GitHub and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-79.
Summary
ApostropheCMS is an open-source Node.js content management system, and sanitize-html provides a simple HTML sanitizer with a clear API. Versions of sanitize-html prior to 2.17.5 use `allowedSchemesAppliedToAttributes` (default: `['href', 'src', 'cite']`) to gate the `naughtyHref()` function that blocks dangerous URI schemes like `javascript:` and `vbscript:`. The HTML specification defines 10+ attributes that accept URIs (`action`, `formaction`, `data`, `poster`, `background`, `ping`, `xlink:href`, `dynsrc`, `lowsrc`), but none of these are included in the default gate list. When a developer allows any of these attributes in their configuration, `javascript:` URIs pass through completely unmodified, enabling XSS. Version 2.17.5 patches the issue.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- Poc
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| apostrophecms | sanitize-html | before 2.17.5 | 2.17.5 | Patch available | CNA |
| — | sanitize-html (npm) | 1.18.0 to before 2.17.5 | 2.17.5 | Patch available | GHSA-vccv-cmxp-4j9h |
- sanitize-html Vendorapostrophecms Affected before 2.17.5 Fixed in 2.17.5 Patch available CNA
- sanitize-html (npm) Vendor— Affected 1.18.0 to before 2.17.5 Fixed in 2.17.5 Patch available GHSA-vccv-cmxp-4j9h
Remediation
- Fix · CNA sanitize-html (apostrophecms) Fixed in 2.17.5
- Fix · GHSA-vccv-cmxp-4j9h sanitize-html (npm) Fixed in 2.17.5 Advisory →
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Multicluster Engine for Kubernetes | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Network Observability Operator | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Advanced Cluster Management for Kubernetes 2 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Developer Hub 1 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat OpenShift AI (RHOAI) | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 5 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat OpenShift Dev Spaces | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat OpenShift GitOps | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat OpenShift Virtualization 4 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Quay 3 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Satellite 6 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
Not affected: 1 product
- Red Hat Hardened Images
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-53606
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-vccv-cmxp-4j9h
- 2026-10-27 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-10-30 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
References
Other 5
- https://github.com/apostrophecms/apostrophe/security/advisories/GHSA-vccv-cmxp-4j9h
- https://github.com/apostrophecms/apostrophe/pull/5464
- https://github.com/apostrophecms/apostrophe/commit/5a88e9630cbbdde33154ef8abe7557ddf7be418b
- https://github.com/apostrophecms/apostrophe
- https://github.com/apostrophecms/apostrophe/releases/tag/[email protected]
More apostrophecms vulnerabilities
- TI-2026-25223 ApostropheCMS has Arbitrary File Write (Zip Slip / Path Traversal) in Import-Export Gzip Extraction CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 10.0
- TI-2026-32848 Apostrophe has default XSS via `xmp` raw-text passthrough in `sanitize-html` CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.3
- TI-2026-38664 @apostrophecms/seo Vulnerable to Stored XSS via Unsanitized Google Analytics / GTM ID Injected into Script Tag CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.7
- TI-2026-27673 ApostropheCMS: Stored XSS in SEO Fields Leads to Authenticated API Data Exposure in ApostropheCMS CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.7
- TI-2026-76992 Unauthenticated resource exhaustion via ApostropheCMS import routes CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.5
- TI-2026-76974 ApostropheCMS leaves rejected CSV uploads in temporary directory CVSS 3.1HIGH 7.5
Sources
- CVE-2026-53606 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-53606 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-vccv-cmxp-4j9h · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-53606 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences