Readest: unsanitized iframe srcdoc attribute in the EPUB sanitizer can lead to arbitrary code execution
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- Cross-site scripting
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA. Impact type from CWE-79.
Summary
Readest is an open-source e-book reader built on Tauri. In versions prior to 0.11.16, EPUB chapter HTML is sanitized with DOMPurify using a configuration that forbade only the <script> tag (FORBID_TAGS: ['script']) in apps/readest-app/src/services/transformers/sanitizer.ts. DOMPurify does not parse the contents of the srcdoc attribute on <iframe> elements, treating it as an opaque string attribute, so an attacker who can get an <iframe> element to survive sanitization can embed a complete HTML document containing a <script> tag inside srcdoc and have it execute when the browser renders the iframe. The content iframe is configured with sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts", so script executing inside it shares the parent origin and can reach parent.parent.__TAURI_INTERNALS__.invoke(...), giving access to every Tauri IPC command the application is permitted to use, which escalates to arbitrary code execution. The payload can be made invisible (zero-size, transparent iframe) so the reader sees only normal book text. Version 0.11.16 hardened the sanitizer configuration by adding 'iframe', 'object' and 'embed' to FORBID_TAGS and adding 'srcdoc' to FORBID_ATTR.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Total
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
Remediation
- Fix · CNA readest (readest) Fixed in 0.11.16
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-82642
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-wvmc-79x2-m97w
References
Advisory 1
More readest vulnerabilities
- TI-2026-85221 Server-side request forgery in Readest OPDS proxy CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.3
- TI-2026-85222 Path traversal in Readest Tauri commands allows arbitrary file access CVSS 3.1HIGH 8.6
- TI-2026-85220 Path traversal in Readest upload overwrites other users' books CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 6.5
- TI-2026-85219 Authorization bypass in Readest lets users hijack paid subscriptions CVSS 3.1MEDIUM 6.5
Sources
- CVE-2026-82642 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-82642 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-wvmc-79x2-m97w · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
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